Kaspersky assisted its partner law enforcement agencies Interpol and Afripol recently in a joint effort to disrupt cybercrime across the African region.
Dubbed “Serengeti,” the operation led to the arrest of over 1,000 people suspected of links to cybercrimes such as ransomware operations and business email compromise (BEC) attacks, resulting in nearly US $193 million in financial losses worldwide.
As Africa is going through a rapid digitisation, the threat of cybercrime on the continent is also escalating. In the African region in particular, ransomware hasemerged as a prominent attack vector, targeting critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and manufacturing facilities, among others
During the first 10 months of this year, there were over 165,000 ransomware attack detections in Africa, according to Kaspersky data. Other noticeable cyberthreats targeting users and organisations in the region include spyware and password stealers.
Conducted from September 2 to October 31, operation Serengeti dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networkslinked to cybercrimes including ransomware operations, BEC attacks, digital extortion and online scams — all identified as prominent threats in Interpol’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.
Kaspersky has contributed to the operation by sharing information on threat actors, data on ransomware attacks and malware targeting the region, as well as up-to-date indicators of compromise (IoCs) for malicious infrastructure across Africa.
Among the malware targeting African countries was also a well-known Brazilian banking Trojan Grandoreiro – Kaspersky recently released new findings on this trojan at its Security Analyst Summit. Ransomware families detected in attacks on African organisations among others included LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa.
The operation also resulted in the identification of over 35,000 victims of cyber offences investigated.
Secretary General of Interpol, Valdecy Urquiza said, “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern. Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together, and these arrests alone will save countless potential future victims from real personal and financial pain. We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”
Afripol’s Acting Executive Director Ambassador Jalel Chelba said, “Through Serengeti, Afripol has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”
Vice President, Global Public Affairs, Kaspersky Yuliya Shlychkova said, “The emerging dynamics of the threat landscape in Africa requires a stronger regional dialogue on mitigating acute cybersecurity risks. Kaspersky firmly supports Interpol’s and Afripol’s efforts to prevent and disrupt cybercrime attacks across Africa, and shares the holistic approach towards creating a more cyber-resilient environment within the continent.”
Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky, Adrian Hia said, “As an advocator of global cyberspace safety, it is meaningful for us to play a part in this joint operation. This is a testament of the importance of cooperation between governments, international law enforcement agencies, and cybersecurity companies like us to battle cybercrimes and threats. As cybercrimes are borderless, collective efforts are crucial to mitigate the risks and enhance cyber resiliency, thus helping to make the digital world safer for governments, businesses and individuals alike.”
Kaspersky recently sealed a five-year cooperation agreement with Afripol to further strengthen its role in creating a more cybersafe climate on the continent by sharing Kaspersky’s extensive data on local cyber threats and cybercrime trends with the organisation.
