Data breaches are a global problem, but the consequences can be especially severe in African countries. As the continent quickly digitizes, the dangers of data breaches grow, posing serious concerns to economic stability, national security, and personal privacy. The issue of data breach can also be an expensive problem to solve, and could spiral out of control.
The financial consequences of data breaches in African nations are among the most pressing threats. Businesses in a variety of industries, including financial institutions and e-commerce sites, are depending more and more on digital platforms to carry out transactions and keep private data.
These corporations may suffer enormous financial losses as a result of a data breach, which may also undermine customer confidence and harm the reputation of the compromised companies.
Much like everywhere else, data breaches are also a huge danger to national security in African countries. Government databases frequently include sensitive information about residents, military activities, and national infrastructure. Unauthorized access to such data has serious consequences, including espionage, sabotage, and other types of cyber warfare.
The right to privacy is a basic human right, yet data breaches may significantly weaken it. Personal information, such as names, addresses, identification numbers, and medical data, can be compromised during a breach, resulting in identity theft, financial fraud, and other types of exploitation.
In African countries, where legal frameworks for data protection are still developing, individuals may have limited recourse to seek redress and protection. These data breaches can also be expensive to resolve.
With that said here are the African countries with the most data breaches in 2024, courtesy of data from the Netherland-based virtual private network (VPN) firm Surf Shark.
The list cover Q1 of 2024.
Top 10 African countries with the most data breaches in 2024
| Rank | Country | Breached accounts | Breach per 100 people | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
South Sudan |
89,426,456 |
813 |
22nd |
|
2. |
South Africa |
34,561,576 |
57 |
39th |
|
3. |
Egypt |
22,577,334 |
20 |
47th |
|
4. |
Nigeria |
19,326,746 |
9 |
53rd |
|
5. |
Morocco |
16,012,905 |
43 |
60th |
|
6. |
Algeria |
10,372,470 |
23 |
65th |
|
7. |
Kenya |
5,809,655 |
11 |
78th |
|
8. |
Tunisia |
5,777,580 |
47 |
79th |
|
9. |
Ghana |
4,016,323 |
12 |
92nd |
|
10. |
Congo DR |
3,545,383 |
4 |
97th |
