Ghana most targeted by DDOS cyber attacks in West Africa

Ghana has emerged as the most targeted country in West Africa for cyber attacks, particularly Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which disrupt networks by overwhelming them with excessive traffic. 

In the first half of 2024, Ghana experienced a staggering 4,753 DDoS attacks across industries such as computer services and telecommunications, according to NETSCOUT’s latest DDoS Threat Intelligence Report.

DDoS attacks, short for Distributed Denial of Service, occur when cybercriminals flood a network with high volumes of traffic, exhausting its capacity and causing service outages. 

This form of attack aims to disrupt operations by rendering targeted websites or services temporarily inaccessible. Ghana’s largest recorded DDoS attack in this period reached 314.25 Mbps, underscoring the scale of cyber threats faced by the nation.

The report revealed that Ghana’s computer-related services sector was hit hardest, enduring 2,759 attacks, followed by wireless telecommunications carriers, which suffered 110 incidents. 

Other industries, including full-service restaurants, were also targeted. The heavy focus on critical communication sectors is part of a broader pattern observed globally, as cybercriminals seek to disrupt essential infrastructure.

While Ghana led the region, other West African nations have also faced notable DDoS incidents. Guinea ranked second, with 2,918 recorded attacks primarily targeting wireless telecommunications carriers through TCP-type methods. Nigeria, another major digital hub, experienced 2,721 attacks, mostly directed at computer services and, uniquely, local beauty salons. 

In one attack, Nigeria recorded 23 different attack vectors, including TCP and DNS amplification, illustrating the growing sophistication of cyber threats.

Across the region, countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia faced similar attack frequencies, with telecommunications again emerging as the primary target sector. Benin, Senegal, Mali, and Cameroon saw relatively fewer incidents, yet they were not immune to high-impact attacks. Cameroon, while experiencing 544 incidents, reported the second-highest attack volume in the region, with one DDoS incident reaching 118.05 Gbps.

NETSCOUT’s Regional Director for Africa, Bryan Hamman, highlighted the rising complexity of DDoS threats. “In some cases, as seen by Cameroon and Ghana as well as Nigeria, attack volumes can exceed 100 Gbps, requiring intervention by upstream providers. While smaller attacks might evade detection due to being below certain thresholds, they still pose serious risks to businesses and infrastructure,” Hamman stated.

Despite the spike in DDoS attacks, West Africa remains less targeted than other African regions, such as North Africa and the SADC region. 

South Africa, for instance, ranks among the top five most targeted nations within the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, Hamman explained. However, the unique attack patterns across West Africa signal an urgent need for tailored cybersecurity strategies to protect each country’s digital infrastructure.

“West Africa’s digital economies are expanding rapidly, and the nuances in each country’s threat landscape highlight the importance of localised security measures,” Hamman noted. “Our latest report equips organisations in the region with insights to fortify their cyber defences and mitigate these evolving threats.”

As Ghana and its neighbours confront these rising cyber challenges, NETSCOUT’s findings reinforce the necessity of building robust, adaptable cybersecurity systems across the region to secure critical infrastructure and foster a safer digital environment.