West African nations, Nigeria and Mali, have taken the lead in DDoS attacks in the latter half of 2024, according to NETSCOUT's latest report.
West Africa Faces Surge in DDoS Attacks, According to NETSCOUT Report
A new Threat Intelligence Report from NETSCOUT reveals a significant increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in West Africa, with Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, and Mali being the most targeted countries in the region [1][3].
The report highlights a dramatic 997% increase in data breaches in Ghana early in 2024, indicating a rising trend of cyber threats in the country [2]. Nigeria and Mali have seen a substantial increase in DDoS attacks in the second half of 2024, with Nigeria recording 1,716 attacks and Mali experiencing over 1,600 attacks [3].
Critical infrastructure sectors, including healthcare and government, are the primary targets of these attacks in West Africa, reflecting broader concerns about the disruption risk to essential services [2]. The report also notes the increasing sophistication and volume of cyber threats in Africa, emphasizing the need for enhanced threat detection capabilities [4][5].
NETSCOUT's Adaptive Threat Analytics technology is highlighted as a crucial tool in mitigating these complex attacks. This technology offers continuous network packet capture and comprehensive visibility across network traffic, improving incident response speed and effectiveness [4][5].
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, computing infrastructure providers were the most affected, and a single incident aimed at a satellite telecommunications organization lasted for 689 minutes [3]. Ghana experienced a decrease in DDoS attacks in the second half of the year, but still saw 917 attacks [3]. Surprisingly, footwear manufacturers in Ghana were among the top targeted industries, with 14 attacks over the second half of 2024 [3].
Nigeria faced some of the region's most complex DDoS campaigns, with up to 22 distinct vendors used in a single attack [3]. In Mali, web search portals and all other information services were the most targeted, with an average duration of 1,197 minutes per incident [3].
In Ghana, three of the top four most targeted industries were ICT-related: web search portals and information services, wired telecommunications carriers, and computing infrastructure providers [3]. In Guinea, wireless telecommunications carriers faced the most pressure from DDoS attacks [3].
Liberia saw computer systems design services businesses heavily targeted, suffering 360 attacks over the six-month period [3]. Beauty salons, wired telecommunications carriers, commercial banking, used merchandise retailers, tire dealers, and household electronics wholesalers also appeared on Nigeria's top ten list [3].
The most frequently used attack vector in Liberia was DNS amplification, with STUN amplification not far behind [3]. The largest DDoS attack in Cameroon measured 200.43 Gbps, surpassing even Nigeria's 148.77 Gbps [3]. The Democratic Republic of the Congo made its debut in NETSCOUT's regional rankings, with 879 reported attacks [3].
These insights underscore the critical need for strengthened cybersecurity defenses in West Africa to protect vulnerable sectors from escalating DDoS threats [1][2][3][4][5].
[1] NETSCOUT Systems, Inc. (2025). NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report for July to December 2024. Retrieved from https://www.netscout.com/threat-intelligence-report-july-december-2024 [2] Akonnor, E. (2025). Ghana's Cyber Threat Landscape: A Rising Concern. Retrieved from https://www.ghanaweb.com/news/i-tech/ghana-s-cyber-threat-landscape-a-rising-concern-786584 [3] Adebayo, O. (2025). West Africa Faces Persistent DDoS Threats, NETSCOUT Report Reveals. Retrieved from https://www.techpoint.africa/2025/03/22/west-africa-faces-persistent-ddos-threats-netscout-report-reveals/ [4] NETSCOUT Systems, Inc. (2025). Adaptive Threat Analytics. Retrieved from https://www.netscout.com/products-services/security/adaptive-threat-analytics [5] Akintola, A. (2025). The Need for Enhanced Threat Detection Capabilities in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2025/03/23/the-need-for-enhanced-threat-detection-capabilities-in-africa/
- The increasing incidence of DDoS attacks in West Africa, as reported by NETSCOUT, is causing concern, particularly in the critical infrastructure sectors of healthcare and government [2].
- The need for AI-powered cybersecurity solutions in West Africa is becoming increasingly apparent, to address the rising trend of complex DDoS threats and data breaches [1][4][5].
- The frequent targeting of ICT-related industries such as web search portals, wired telecommunications carriers, and computing infrastructure providers in Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria, underscores the ever-growing importance of secure regional infrastructure [3].
- In the face of escalating cybersecurity threats, the general news and political focus in West Africa should shift towards the implementation of robust AI-driven security systems to protect essential services and critical data [1][2].
- As regional economies in West Africa become more reliant on data-and-cloud-computing technology, strengthening cybersecurity defenses through AI and ICT will be essential to ensure regional resilience and maintain harmonious growth [4][5].
