Cybersecurity: What’s happening in Africa and how to stay safe

Cybersecurity isn’t just a tech story — it affects business owners, journalists, students, and government services across Africa. You’ll find breaking news here about data breaches, policy changes, telecom risks, and scams that hit everyday people. I’ll also give simple, practical steps you can use right now to protect your phone, accounts, and small business.

Quick, practical steps you can use today

Start with the basics. Small changes stop most attacks.

• Keep your devices updated: install security patches for your phone, laptop, and apps as soon as they appear.
• Use strong, unique passwords and a password manager to avoid reusing logins across sites.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for email, banking, and social accounts — it blocks most account takeovers.
• Backup important data regularly to an external drive or secure cloud service and test that you can restore it.
• Be cautious with links and attachments: verify the sender before downloading or clicking, even if the message looks like it’s from a friend.
• Avoid public Wi‑Fi for sensitive tasks; if you must, use a trusted VPN and confirm the network name with staff.
• Install apps only from official stores (Google Play, App Store) and check app permissions — don't grant more than needed.
• Train your team or family on basic signs of phishing and how to report suspicious messages quickly.

What we cover and why you should follow this tag

Under the cybersecurity tag we publish three kinds of pieces: breaking reports on hacks and frauds; plain-language explainers on new threats or laws; and step-by-step guides you can use today. Expect stories about mobile money scams, ransomware hitting businesses, telecom outages, and how new regulations affect privacy and data handling in African countries.

If you work in a small business, run a newsroom, or manage community services, these stories matter. We highlight who’s affected, what went wrong, and the quick fixes that reduce risk. We also flag long-term solutions like better government rules, stronger infrastructure, and training programs that help communities recover faster after attacks.

See a suspicious message or a data breach in your area? Send tips to our newsroom so we can investigate and warn others. Follow this tag to get timely alerts and real-world advice that you can use immediately — not technical jargon, just clear steps to keep your data and devices safe.