Mobile Malware Attacks in Africa are Declining – Why Isn’t It a Good Thing?

While analyzing the threat landscape of African countries, Kaspersky experts observed a steady decline in mobile device attacks in the region, as cybercriminals concentrated their efforts to focus on more complicated, dangerous, and profitable threats.

These and other findings are included in Kaspersky’s report, Mobile Threats in 2021.

Overall, South African users faced 38% fewer mobile malware attacks in 2021 than they did in 2020, while other countries in the region experienced even more dramatic changes in their mobile threat landscape: Mozambique experienced a 48% decrease, followed by Botswana (58%), Nigeria (59%), Ethiopia (69%), and Ghana (69%). (76 percent ). Angola was the only country where the share of attacks increased, with mobile malware increasing by 12 percent.

“While there have been fewer mobile attacks in general, the attacks we are still seeing have become more complex and difficult to detect.” “Cybercriminals frequently disguise malicious apps as legitimate apps that can be downloaded from official app stores,” says Tatyana Shishkova, a security researcher at Kaspersky.

Why the Decline Isn’t Always a Good Thing

This dynamic reflects a global trend in which cybercriminals are investing less and less in mainstream threats that are successfully neutralized by modern security solutions. Instead, they choose to invest more in new mobile malware, which is becoming more complex, with new ways to steal users’ banking and gaming credentials, as well as other strands of personal data.

For example, Kaspersky detected over 95,000 new mobile banking Trojans in the world in 2021, but the number of attacks using such malware remained stable. Furthermore, the proportion of Trojans – malicious programs capable of executing remote commands – more than doubled, reaching 8.8 percent in 2021.

Experts attribute the overall decline of mobile malware in 2021 to the massive wave of attacks seen at the start of lockdown in 2020 as users were forced to work from home, in addition to strategic changes on the mobile threat landscape.

During that time, there was also an increase in the use of various video conferencing and entertainment apps, which increased the volume and spread of attack opportunities. As a result of the situation’s stabilization, cybercriminal activity has decreased.

“With mobile banking and payment apps becoming even more widespread, there is a higher chance of cybercriminals targeting these more actively. Staying cautious and cautious on the Internet, as well as avoiding downloading unknown apps, is good practice, but I also strongly recommend using a reputable solution. When it comes to the security of finances in particular, it is better to be safe than sorry,” Shishkova concludes.