Kenya’s cyber threat landscape continues to intensify, with the country reporting significant financial losses and an alarming spike in cyber threats this year. According to the latest cybersecurity report, Kenya experienced $83 million in losses to cybercrime in 2023, while the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC) detected 1.1 billion cyber threat events from April to June 2024. This figure marks a 16.5% increase from the 971 million threats recorded in the first quarter of the year.
The KE-CIRT/CC, tasked with safeguarding national digital infrastructure, has noted that cyberattacks increasingly target system vulnerabilities. David Mugonyi, the authority’s Director General, attributes these vulnerabilities to the growing presence of insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices, outdated software, and configurations susceptible to attack. Emerging technologies such as AI are also being exploited by cybercriminals, who frequently use phishing and identity theft to steal sensitive information, leading to severe financial and data security implications.
Mugonyi stressed the need for regionally focused strategies to address cyberespionage, cyberterrorism, and other threats specific to Kenya, highlighting the limitations of global frameworks to address these localized challenges adequately.
To counter escalating cyber threats, Kenya’s government is consolidating cybersecurity efforts across ministries into a unified national entity, aiming to streamline response and protection strategies. This initiative will involve amendments to the National ICT Policy and updates to Kenya’s National Cybersecurity Strategy, launched in 2022. This strategy, set to run through 2027, focuses on improving cybersecurity governance, regulatory frameworks, capacity building, and reducing cyber risks.
In addition, the authority has reinforced partnerships with local and international stakeholders to strengthen the cybersecurity framework and improve the response time and efficacy of cybercrime incident resolution.
