In recent years, West African nations have experienced a rapid digital transformation that has helped spur economic growth and development. Yet, this transformation has also brought to light many institutional and operational cybersecurity deficiencies that make the region an attractive and vulnerable target of cyber threat actors. West Africa has experienced an alarming increase in cyberattacks in recent years, with cybercrime accounting for more than 30-percent of all reported crime in the region.
The Shadowserver Foundation recently supported the Joint Platform for Advancing Cybersecurity (JPAC) in West Africa, a cyber capacity building project launched by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission in collaboration with Germany’s G-7 presidency in 2022. The project was commissioned by the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Union Commission in 2023, and implemented by Germany’s Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
As part of this project, Shadowserver issued a report to inform government leaders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders on the following:
- The ECOWAS region’s cyber threat landscape and attack surface using Shadowserver’s free, actionable cyber threat intelligence, technical analysis, and expert insights
- The region’s institutional and operational cybersecurity deficiencies (“gaps”) that make it increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats
- Recommended actions that can be undertaken at the national and regional levels to address the identified gaps, improve digital security, and enhance cyber resilience in the region
- The potential economic and societal impact should the identified institutional and operational cybersecurity gaps remain unaddressed
Download the full report – available in English, French, and Portuguese.
Download the two-page fact sheet – available in English, French, and Portuguese.