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Kaspersky Assists INTERPOL and AFRIPOL in Tackling African Cybercrime

Adrian Hia, Kaspersky’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific

Kaspersky collaborated with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL on Operation “Serengeti,” a cybercrime disruption effort across Africa. The operation, conducted between September 2 and October 31, 2024, resulted in the arrest of over 1,000 cybercrime suspects and dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures. It addressed ransomware operations, business email compromise (BEC) attacks, digital extortion, and online scams, all major threats highlighted in INTERPOL’s 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report.

Interpol and Afripol

The operation targeted critical sectors like infrastructure, finance, and manufacturing, which have been increasingly affected by cyber threats as Africa undergoes rapid digitization. Kaspersky reported over 165,000 ransomware detections in Africa during the first 10 months of 2024 and identified other threats such as spyware and password stealers.

Kasperky’s contributions included sharing data on ransomware families like LockBit, Rhysida, and Medusa, as well as the Grandoreiro banking trojan. The initiative underscores the escalating threat of cybercrime in Africa and the importance of global partnerships in combating it.

Cybercrime trends

Through Operation Serengeti, AFRIPOL has enhanced law enforcement support in African Union Member States, enabling arrests and advancing cybercrime trend analysis.

Yuliya Shlychkova, Kaspersky’s Vice President of Global Public Affairs, emphasized the need for regional dialogue to address Africa’s evolving threat landscape, while Adrian Hia, Kaspersky’s Managing Director for Asia Pacific, highlighted the significance of collaboration among governments, law enforcement, and cybersecurity firms to combat borderless cybercrimes and bolster global cyber resiliency.