According to a new report by cybersecurity firm Check Point, African businesses experienced a significant 20% increase in cyberattacks during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

“Africa surged to the forefront with an average of 2,373 attacks per week per organization, a 20% jump from the same period in 2023,” Check Point stated in the report.

The Education/Research sector was hit hardest, with an average of 2,454 attacks per organization weekly, followed by the Government/Military and Healthcare sectors.

Furthermore, there was a substantial year-on-year increase in attacks on the Hardware Vendor industry, rising by 37%, signaling a strategic shift in target preference by cybercriminals.

Regarding ransomware attacks, North America bore the brunt, accounting for 59% of nearly 1000 published attacks. Europe saw a significant 64% increase in reported ransomware attacks compared to Q1 2023.

To mitigate these threats, Check Point emphasized the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, including data backups, cyber awareness training, security patches, and advanced anti-ransomware solutions.