Nearly 9% of African Users Impacted by Phishing Attacks in 2022

In 2022, 8.7% of individuals and corporate users in Africa were affected by phishing attacks, according to a report by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky. The report reveals that South Africa had the highest percentage of users affected by phishing attacks at 9.7%, followed by Kenya at 8.4% and Nigeria at 7%.

Kaspersky's report also highlighted a global trend in the phishing landscape of 2022: an increase in the distribution of attacks through messaging apps, with WhatsApp being the platform most frequently used by attackers, followed by Telegram and Viber.

Phishing attacks are a type of cyber-attack that use social engineering tactics to trick victims into clicking on a link or downloading a malicious attachment, allowing the attacker to steal sensitive information or gain access to the victim's device.

While not necessarily complex from a technological standpoint, phishing attacks rely on sophisticated tactics that make them highly dangerous to those who are not aware of them.

The report also revealed that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting social media credentials, using fake updates and verified account status on social media platforms to exploit people's curiosity and desire for privacy.