THE AI SECURITY RACE IN AFRICA
As cybercriminals use Artificial Intelligence to launch faster, more convincing attacks, African organisations are turning to the same technology to strengthen their defences. But with autonomous security operations gaining momentum, the challenge for CISOs is no longer simply keeping pace with attackers. It is ensuring that AI can act quickly without compromising security, accountability or control. rtificial Intelligence is
A transforming Africa’ s cybersecurity landscape, creating a new contest between attackers seeking to exploit the technology and defenders looking to use it to protect increasingly complex digital environments. From highly personalised phishing campaigns and convincing deepfakes to automated vulnerability discovery and AI-assisted malware development, cybercriminals are gaining capabilities that allow them to operate with greater speed, sophistication and scale.
For African businesses, financial institutions and governments, the implications are significant. Digital transformation, cloud adoption and expanding connectivity are creating new opportunities for economic growth, but they are also increasing the number of potential entry points for attackers. Meanwhile, cybersecurity teams are under pressure to defend these environments with limited resources and a persistent shortage of experienced professionals.
The scale of the challenge is becoming increasingly apparent. According to INTERPOL’ s 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment, cited by Vincent Entonu, Managing Director Africa at Westcon-Comstor, AI now enables 55 % of reported cybercrimes across the continent.
Yet AI is not necessarily introducing entirely new categories of cybercrime. Instead, it is making familiar attacks faster, cheaper and easier to execute.
“ AI is changing the pace of cybercrime more than the basic nature of it,” said Entonu.“ Phishing, reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery and identity attacks are not new, but AI allows attackers to do far more of that work, far more quickly.”
This acceleration is changing the balance between attackers and defenders. The window between identifying a vulnerability and attempting to exploit it is narrowing, leaving organisations with less time to detect weaknesses, deploy patches and strengthen their defences.
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