AI-driven cyber attacks have taken a major hit on African firms as nearly 60 percent were affected and threats escalated.
A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report highlights a sharp increase in cyberattacks against African businesses, driven largely by advances in artificial intelligence (AI).
The study, titled ‘AI is raising the stakes in Cybersecurity’ reveals that almost six in ten African firms say they were targeted by AI-powered cyberattacks in the past year, yet many are still lagging in defensive readiness.
Hamid Maher, managing director in Casablanca and head of Africa tech hub at BCG warned that AI is transforming cyber threats into faster, more deceptive and scalable attacks.
“Although more than half of African companies have experienced such attacks, only 29 percent currently have advanced AI cybersecurity capabilities which is a gap that leaves many businesses exposed,” he noted.
The BCG report details how AI is being exploited in a range of attacks, from ransomware and phishing to sophisticated fraud.
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One case involved a $25 million loss after attackers used a deepfake video call to impersonate a company executive, while another saw healthcare systems crippled by encrypted malware that disrupted operations.
Despite the rising threat, many organisations have yet to significantly boost cybersecurity budgets. BCG found that just a small fraction have increased their spending in response to AI-enabled risks, and 82 percent of African firms report difficulty hiring skilled AI cybersecurity talent.
Only about one-quarter of existing defence tools are considered advanced by businesses on the continent.
BCG’s report argued that stronger leadership alignment between CEOs and chief information security officers, greater investment in AI defences, and a move toward more proactive risk strategies are essential if companies hope to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats.
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The global survey polled 500 senior executives across regions, 50 from Africa and found that while awareness of AI’s role in cyber risk is high, adoption of AI-enabled security tools remains limited.
Only about 7 percent of organisations worldwide have deployed AI defence systems, although nearly nine in ten plan to do so, the report stated.
