Kaspersky links rising spyware attacks to growing cyberespionage in Africa
New findings from Kaspersky have revealed that Africa is experiencing a sharp rise in cyberespionage activity, with spyware and credential theft emerging as some of the fastest-growing cybersecurity threats targeting both businesses and individuals.
According to Kaspersky, espionage-driven attacks are increasing across Africa despite an overall decline in many other categories of cyberthreats. Data presented during the recent Cyber Security Weekend – META conference shows spyware attacks against individuals in Africa rose by 40% over the past year, while password stealer attacks increased by 31%.
However, spyware detections in corporate environments rose by 16%, password stealer attacks surged by 51%, and backdoor malware detections increased by 23%, reflecting a growing focus on infiltrating organizations to steal sensitive information and maintain long-term access to compromised systems.
Cybersecurity researchers also attributed the increase to the growing role of cyberespionage in geopolitical conflicts and intelligence gathering.
Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) is currently tracking more than 20 Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups actively targeting organizations across the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META) region during 2026.
One of the latest examples involves the Muddy Water APT group, which researchers say has been targeting organizations in the Middle East using previously undocumented malware and relies on custom built loaders, injectors and remote access trojans (RATs) to make the attacks more complex.
Individual users across Africa are also facing heightened risks with password-stealing malware targeting consumers increased by 32% over the past year. Stolen credentials can be used to hijack online accounts, facilitate identity theft, enable further cyberattacks or be traded on underground cybercrime marketplaces.
Smartphones are becoming attractive target for cyberespionage since they now hold corporate emails, financial information, authentication credentials and private communications, making them valuable sources of intelligence for attackers.
According to Dmitry Galov, Head of Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team for Russia and the CIS, the expanding role of smartphones in both personal and professional life has made mobile security a critical component of cyber resilience.
Furthermore, security experts said organizations can reduce their exposure to cyberespionage by adopting layered cybersecurity strategies that combine regular vulnerability assessments, timely software updates, employee awareness training, threat intelligence and advanced endpoint detection technologies capable of identifying sophisticated attacks before they become long-term compromises.
Download the free Kaspersky SMB Cybersecurity Guide here to learn how businesses can move beyond traditional antivirus and build a more resilient approach to cybersecurity.
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