East Africa's digital economy faces escalating cyber risks

Cyber risk in East Africa's digital economy has moved beyond IT departments to threaten economic stability, according to a new report by SmartComply. The region processes billions in transactions across tax collection, transport fares, and mobile banking, but security systems are scaling too slowly. Kenya alone accounts for 68% of the region's attack surface with 200,980 exposed systems, yet only 0.3% of breaches occur there. Tanzania, with fewer systems, has a 20% breach rate. Mobile banking fraud surged 87% due to social engineering and SIM-swap schemes, while healthcare ransomware increased 95%. AI-enabled attacks are rising globally, but only 7% of organizations have AI defenses. SmartComply CEO Gbemisola Osunrinde described the problem as structural, with controls often retrofitted after products launch. Despite 74% of organizations ranking cyber risk as strategic, only 29% conduct crisis simulations. The report warns that digital maturity amplifies exposure, with mobile money transactions representing over 53% of Kenya's GDP.

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/02/27/kenya-records-4-5-billion-cyber-threats-as-digital-risks-mount/