Africa-wide Cybercrime Spike Prompts Congo's CyberDrill 2025
In the heart of Central Africa, Brazzaville plays host to the 13th Regional CyberDrill, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen digital security, resilience, and regional cooperation against cyber threats across the continent. Over three days, from July 1, 2025, expert teams from more than 30 African states will gather at the Kintelé International Conference Centre for this critical exercise.
The purpose of CyberDrill 2025 is multifaceted. It serves as a platform to stress-test critical infrastructure resilience by simulating cyberattack scenarios such as ransomware outbreaks, supply-chain compromises, and disinformation campaigns targeting vital sectors like energy grids, financial systems, and health networks. This focus reflects the region's vulnerability, as identified by the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, highlighting critical infrastructure as a primary attack surface.
Beyond technical defenses, the drill also tests the speed and effectiveness of interagency coordination, decision-making, and public communication strategies during cyber incidents. This is crucial for minimizing impact and maintaining trust in the event of a cyber crisis.
Another key role of the drill is to build African cybersecurity doctrine and cooperation. Conducted in partnership with international bodies like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Interpol, the event nurtures a shared African approach to cybersecurity while deepening interagency and cross-border collaboration.
The strategic and political significance of the event is underscored by Jean-Dominique Okemba, Secretary-General of the National Security Council, who stated that Congo has made cybersecurity a national priority. By hosting and leading such exercises, African nations signal the capacity to defend their digital spaces, safeguarding not only data flows but equating cybersecurity with territorial integrity. The aim is to create a sovereign, secure, and unified African cyberspace, emphasizing collective defense beyond individual national efforts.
CyberDrill Africa is a regional event that gathers Africa's Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and Computer Incident Response Teams (CIRTs) and international experts. The cybersecurity exercise is structured around three key components: simulated cyberattacks, cyber crisis management scenarios, and live drills testing command and coordination systems.
The event features hands-on workshops, crisis simulations, and technical training sessions. Abdourrahmane Diallo, the UN Resident Coordinator in Congo, emphasized the importance of digital skills in combating cybercrime. Participants will address broader digital threats such as cyberterrorism, transnational cybercrime, disinformation, and the development of cyber diplomacy.
Congo's Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy, Léon Juste Ibombo, called for a "coordinated and structured response" to the digital threat. He acknowledged the vital role of global and regional partners including the ITU, Interpol, and local institutions like the African Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in the fight against cybercrime.
The Congo's digital security framework is anchored in the Inclusive Digital Transformation Acceleration Project, which aims to promote digital literacy, enhance cybersecurity measures, and foster digital innovation. The National Agency for Information Systems Security (ANSSI) will serve as both a digital defence mechanism and a driver of secure development.
The financial toll of cybercrime is expected to reach $9.5 trillion globally by 2025. In Africa, cybercrime costs the continent over $4 billion annually. With an average of 3,370 cyberattacks per organization each week and a yearly increase of over 90%, Africa is particularly vulnerable.
Okemba warned that no sector is immune to cyber threats, calling for a united African cyber front to defend data, sovereignty, and citizens. The goal is to create a collective African cyberspace that is sovereign, secure, and unified. Cybersecurity is now considered a core pillar of national security, according to Minister Ibombo.
In conclusion, CyberDrill 2025 is a strategic effort that advances Africa’s ability to anticipate, respond to, and recover from cyber threats, bolstering the continent’s digital resilience through simulation, collaboration, and capacity building. This initiative underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity in Africa's broader geopolitical and economic sovereignty in the digital age.
- The Regional CyberDrill, held in Brazzaville, not only focuses on stress-testing critical infrastructure resilience through simulated cyberattacks, but also prioritizes the development of a shared African approach to cybersecurity through strengthening interagency and cross-border collaboration.
- Cybersecurity technology plays a crucial role in the 13th Regional CyberDrill, as it serves as a platform for testing and improving both technical defenses against cyber threats and strategic responses, including public communication and interagency coordination.
