Nigeria faces 4,906 weekly cyberattacks as threats jump 45%

Nigerian organisations recorded an average of 4,906 cyberattacks every week in August 2026, a 45 per cent increase from a year earlier, placing the country among Africa’s most heavily targeted markets and exposing businesses and critical infrastructure to rising financial and operational risks.

The latest Global Threat Intelligence report by Check Point Research showed that Nigeria’s weekly attack rate was more than twice the global average of 2,422 attacks per organisation, highlighting the intensity of cyber threats facing the country’s digital economy.

Among the four African countries covered by the report, Nigeria ranked second behind Angola, which recorded 5,416 attacks per organisation per week, up 47 per cent year-on-year.

Kenya followed with 3,658 weekly attacks, representing a six per cent increase, while South Africa recorded 2,086 attacks, down three per cent.

The threat level was also high across the continent. African organisations experienced an average of 3,335 attacks per week in August, up from 3,237 in July.

Globally, organisations recorded 2,422 weekly attacks, representing a 22 per cent increase from August 2025 and a four per cent rise from July.

The figures indicate that Nigerian businesses are operating in an environment where cyber risk is increasing faster than the global average.

The Energy and Utilities sector was the most targeted industry in Africa during August, followed by financial services and government institutions.

Lorna Hardie, Regional Director for Africa at Check Point Software, said the concentration of attacks on energy infrastructure should be treated as a major economic warning.

“The Energy & Utilities sector is the heartbeat of any country’s economy, and ensuring its cyber security should be a matter of priority for all concerned,” she said.

The concern extends beyond data theft. A successful attack on energy networks, banks, payment platforms or government systems can interrupt operations, increase recovery costs, expose sensitive information and undermine confidence in digital services.

Ransomware also intensified during the month, with 1,042 attacks reported globally in August, almost twice the level recorded a year earlier and eight per cent higher than July.

Business Services accounted for 36 per cent of reported ransomware attacks, followed by Industrial Manufacturing with 13 per cent and Consumer Goods and Services with 12 per cent.

Qilin was the most active ransomware group, accounting for 15 per cent of published attacks, while The Gentlemen accounted for 10 per cent. Orova entered the top three for the first time.

Nigeria’s threat environment has remained elevated beyond August. Check Point recorded an average of 4,975 weekly attacks per Nigerian organisation in July, showing that the country has experienced sustained high levels of cyber activity.

The Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) had also warned in May of an intensifying wave of Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks, with attackers increasingly using botnets, amplification techniques and known vulnerabilities to disrupt digital infrastructure.

Financial institutions remain particularly exposed.

In a recent warning, ngCERT disclosed that cybercriminals carried out a coordinated ATM cash-out operation against UBA Senegal, generating fraudulent withdrawals of more than $2 million through 3,421 ATM transactions.

The agency said such attacks can begin through phishing, supply-chain weaknesses or insider access before attackers deploy malware and other tools to compromise banking infrastructure.

For Nigeria, the latest threat figures come as businesses and government agencies accelerate digital adoption, increasing both the economic benefits and the potential cost of cyber disruption.

The 45 per cent annual increase in attacks therefore raises the cost of doing business beyond conventional risks such as energy, finance and infrastructure. Cybersecurity is increasingly becoming a core business-continuity issue, particularly for institutions controlling critical infrastructure and financial systems.

The latest data suggests that Nigeria’s digital expansion must now be matched by equally aggressive investment in cyber resilience, threat detection, employee awareness, infrastructure protection and rapid incident response.