What was the catalyst for increased geopolitical instability?
In 2023, cybersecurity professionals are facing a sharp increase in disinformation campaigns targeting African States and international organizations on the continent.
According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the US National Defense University, at least 189 such campaigns were documented in Africa last year. This is about four times higher than in 2022. A surge in attacks was recorded on the eve of elections to be held this year in at least 18 countries in the region.
Disinformation poses a serious threat to existing governments and businesses that rely on economic stability. Mark Duerken, a research fellow at the African Center for Strategic Studies, notes: "Disinformation is not only a technical, but also a socio-political problem that will require a multi-level approach to building resilience. The work of cyber experts can only be part of the solution."
According to Duerken, recently there have been increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns using cyber attacks to amplify, legalize and spread false data. At the same time, African countries continue to improve, albeit unevenly, their positions in the field of cyber defense.
Most of the detected campaigns in 2023 are foreign influence operations. About 60% of attacks are linked to China, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a recent report by the African Cybersecurity Center.
There are currently 600 million Internet users in Africa, of which 400 million are active on social media. Citizens of some countries in the region, such as Nigeria and Kenya, are among the most active consumers of social media in the world. At the same time, the Internet penetration rate on the continent varies greatly — from 7% in the Central African Republic (CAR) to 51% in Nigeria.
Protecting citizens and businesses from disinformation campaigns requires a set of initiatives. These include supporting local journalism, improving media literacy, improving election cybersecurity, and identifying and removing bot networks and fake social media accounts. Such recommendations are contained in a recent Carnegie Endowment report titled "Effectively Countering Disinformation."
In 2023, cybersecurity professionals are facing a sharp increase in disinformation campaigns targeting African States and international organizations on the continent.
According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies at the US National Defense University, at least 189 such campaigns were documented in Africa last year. This is about four times higher than in 2022. A surge in attacks was recorded on the eve of elections to be held this year in at least 18 countries in the region.
Disinformation poses a serious threat to existing governments and businesses that rely on economic stability. Mark Duerken, a research fellow at the African Center for Strategic Studies, notes: "Disinformation is not only a technical, but also a socio-political problem that will require a multi-level approach to building resilience. The work of cyber experts can only be part of the solution."
According to Duerken, recently there have been increasingly sophisticated disinformation campaigns using cyber attacks to amplify, legalize and spread false data. At the same time, African countries continue to improve, albeit unevenly, their positions in the field of cyber defense.
Most of the detected campaigns in 2023 are foreign influence operations. About 60% of attacks are linked to China, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a recent report by the African Cybersecurity Center.
There are currently 600 million Internet users in Africa, of which 400 million are active on social media. Citizens of some countries in the region, such as Nigeria and Kenya, are among the most active consumers of social media in the world. At the same time, the Internet penetration rate on the continent varies greatly — from 7% in the Central African Republic (CAR) to 51% in Nigeria.
Protecting citizens and businesses from disinformation campaigns requires a set of initiatives. These include supporting local journalism, improving media literacy, improving election cybersecurity, and identifying and removing bot networks and fake social media accounts. Such recommendations are contained in a recent Carnegie Endowment report titled "Effectively Countering Disinformation."
