The report shows that Ethiopia’s critical infrastructure, government systems, financial services, and large scale development projects faced frequent attacks in 2024. Malware infections, ransomware incidents, and phishing campaigns were among the most reported issues.
Phishing and scams stand out as the leading threat. Criminals use fake emails, SMS, and social media accounts to impersonate trusted institutions and trick people into giving away sensitive data. Many of these scams now use AIgenerated text and deepfakes, making them harder to detect.
Another rising issue is digital sextortion and online harassment, often targeting young people and women. Attackers use stolen or manipulated images to blackmail victims, causing psychological harm in addition to financial loss.
The report also highlights ransomware and Business Email Compromise (BEC) as costly threats. These attacks can paralyze businesses and institutions, sometimes demanding payments in cryptocurrency while threatening to leak stolen data.
Telecommunications are not spared either. SIM swap fraud is on the rise, where criminals hijack phone numbers to intercept banking codes and empty accounts. As mobile banking continues to grow in Ethiopia, this attack method is a major concern.
