Tag Archives: Security breaches

06Aug/26

AI Automates the Industrialized Cybercrime Economy

August 6, 2026SecurityAngola, Computer security, Conti, Crimes, Cyberattack, Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare, Deepfake, Generative AI, Kenya, Kganyago, Lesetja Kganyago, Malware, Neal Jetton, Oludare Ogunlana, Phishing, Ransomware, Security breaches, Senegal, South Africa, Sunday, Uganda, Zambiaadmin

Coordinated Policing Battles a Surge in Sophisticated, AI-Powered Scams Across Africa

Thur , Aug 06 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Artificial intelligence has become the primary engine transforming cybercrime across Africa, driving 55 percent of all reported digital offenses and shifting the threat landscape from isolated incidents into an industrialized, borderless criminal ecosystem. This automation spans every stage of a cyberattack, from initial target reconnaissance and highly personalized phishing generation to execution, extortion, and operational evasion. Fueled by the continent’s rapid digital transformation, which reached over 1.1 billion registered mobile subscribers in 2025, cybercriminals have successfully scaled their operations to target massive audiences simultaneously. This has resulted in a devastating financial toll, with annual regional losses skyrocketing from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million in 2025, while the number of identified individual victims surged from 35,000 to 87,000. Continue reading →

12Oct/24

As an ethical hacker, I can’t believe the risks people routinely take when they access the internet in public

October 12, 2024SecurityAlexander Supertramp, Christopher Patrick Hawkins, Computer security, Creative Commons, Cyberattack, Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare, Evil twin, Internet security, Malware, Phishing, Security breaches, Social engineering, Supply chain attackadmin

Christopher Patrick Hawkins, University of Staffordshire

In the modern world we are all constantly connected, but this comes with risks. As most cybersecurity specialists will tell you, the biggest vulnerability in any system is the user – whether at home or work.

Continue reading →

19Jan/23

How to spot a cyberbot – five tips to keep your device safe

January 19, 2023ScienceAdrian Winckles, Andrew Moore, Antivirus software, Artem, Botnets, Computer network security, Computer virus, Computing, Creative Commons, Cybercrime, Internet security, Multi-agent systems, Rootkit, Security, Security breaches, SHUTTERSTOCK, Spammingadmin

How to spot a cyberbot – five tips to keep your device safe

Malware is designed to hide in your device
Jaiz Anuar/Shutterstock

Adrian Winckles, Anglia Ruskin University and Andrew Moore, Anglia Ruskin University

You may know nothing about it, but your phone – or your laptop or tablet – could be taken over by someone else who has found their way in through a back door. They could have infected your device with malware to make it a “bot” or a “zombie” and be using it – perhaps with hundreds of other unwitting victims’ phones – to launch a cyberattack.

Continue reading →

09Dec/22

Avast 2023 Predictions Highlight Increased Risk for Detrimental Damage Caused by Ransomware Gangs

December 9, 2022SecurityAvast, Computer security, Cryptography, Cybercrime, Cyberwarfare, Malware, National security, Prevention, Ransomware, Security, Security breachesadmin

Avast, a leading global digital security and privacy consumer brand by Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), anticipates an increased risk of ransomware attacks in 2023 threatening to leak people’s and businesses’ valuable data if ransom demands aren’t paid. Additionally, Avast researchers foresee optimization of social engineering used in scam attacks, taking advantage of economic hardships and energy crisis fears. The experts also expect increased malicious activity overall, as open-source malware becomes more accessible, and cybergangs recruit hacktivists to join their causes. Continue reading