CyberHappenings logo
☰
Home Browse Watchlists Experimental About

Track cybersecurity events as they unfold. Sourced timelines. Filter, sort, and browse. Fast, privacy‑respecting. No invasive ads, no tracking.

Regional shift observed as cyberattack volume declines in Africa and spikes in Latin America during Q1 2026

First reported
Last updated
1 unique sources, 1 articles

Summary

Hide ▲

Cyber threat activity in Africa declined by 22% in Q1 2026 compared to 2025, averaging 2,700 attacks per week per organization, while Latin America overtook Africa as the highest-risk region globally with 3,050 weekly attacks per organization. The reduction in Africa is attributed to improved cybersecurity maturity and a strategic shift by attackers toward Latin America, where rapid digitalization has outpaced security investments. Despite the decline, African organizations remain above the global average of 2,000 attacks per week, with ransomware activity remaining disproportionately concentrated in North America.

Timeline

  1. 23.04.2026 10:01 1 articles · 8h ago

    Regional cyber threat rebalancing: Africa sees decline while Latin America becomes primary target in Q1 2026

    Check Point data shows African organizations experienced a 22% decrease in weekly attacks in Q1 2026 (2,700) compared to 2025 (3,500). Latin America overtook Africa as the highest-risk region, recording 3,050 attacks per week per organization, driven by nation-state espionage and criminal targeting of healthcare and government sectors. Country-level variations in Africa include declines in Kenya and Morocco but increases in Ethiopia, with Nigeria remaining the most targeted despite a 12% reduction. Vulnerability exploitation and DDoS attacks saw the greatest declines in Africa, while ransomware targeting African organizations remained minimal at 2% of global volume.

    Show sources
    Open in new tab

Information Snippets

  • In Q1 2026, African organizations experienced an average of 2,700 cyberattacks per week, a 22% decrease from 2025’s average of 3,500 attacks per week.

    First reported: 23.04.2026 10:01
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources

  • Latin America surpassed Africa as the highest-risk region globally in late 2025, with 3,050 weekly attacks per organization, driven by nation-state espionage and criminal targeting of healthcare and government sectors.

    First reported: 23.04.2026 10:01
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources

  • Cybercriminal syndicates and nation-state actors have shifted focus toward Latin America due to rapid digitalization without proportional cybersecurity investment, creating exploitable gaps.

    First reported: 23.04.2026 10:01
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources

  • Kenya and Morocco saw over 50% reductions in attack volumes, while Ethiopia experienced a 29% increase, and Nigeria remained the most targeted country in Africa despite a 12% decline in attacks.

    First reported: 23.04.2026 10:01
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources

  • The greatest declines in Africa were in vulnerability exploitation and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, though ransomware targeting African organizations remained minimal at 2% of global volume.

    First reported: 23.04.2026 10:01
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources

  • On-device threats affected 41% of machines in Africa, compared to 30% in Latin America, indicating persistent regional differences in specific threat types despite overall declines.

    First reported: 23.04.2026 10:01
    1 source, 1 article
    Show sources