Africa's cyber threat landscape is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with cybercriminals using advanced technologies and organised crime networks to target governments, businesses, financial institutions and individuals across the continent.

In its African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, INTERPOL warned that the rapid expansion of Africa's digital economy has created new opportunities for cybercrime, prompting calls for stronger regional cooperation, improved cybersecurity capabilities and greater public awareness.

The report identifies the following seven major cyber threats facing Africa:

1. Ransomware attacks – Criminals encrypt victims' data and demand payment for its release, increasingly targeting governments, public institutions and critical infrastructure.

2. Business Email Compromise (BEC) – Fraudsters impersonate company executives or trusted partners through fake emails to trick businesses into transferring money or disclosing sensitive information.

3. Organised online scam centres – Large-scale criminal networks operate scam centres involved in investment fraud, romance scams, phishing and other online fraud, often linked to human trafficking and forced labour.

4. Mobile money fraud – Cybercriminals exploit mobile payment platforms through phishing, SIM-swap attacks, fake promotions and social engineering to steal funds from users.

5. AI-enabled digital sextortion – Criminals use artificial intelligence and deepfake technology to create fake intimate images from victims' social media photos before demanding ransom.

6. Data breaches and identity theft – Stolen personal and financial data are traded on the dark web and used for identity theft, phishing, financial fraud and ransomware attacks.

7. **AI-powered cybercrime and Cybercrime-as-a-Service** – Criminals are using artificial intelligence to automate phishing, generate deepfakes, create synthetic identities and develop sophisticated malware, while Cybercrime-as-a-Service platforms provide ready-made hacking tools to offenders with limited technical expertise.