Cyber threats in 2025 hit all

Cybersecurity advisories increased to 72.3 million in 2025, up from 39.0 million in 2024 and 26.4 million in 2023, representing an 85 per cent year-on-year surge between 2024 and 2025.

Kenya is experiencing a sharp rise in cyber risks as increased internet use and ongoing digital transformation expose more systems to online threats, according to the Economic Survey 2026 report. According to the report, released on Wednesday, both cybersecurity advisories and reported cybercrime incidents rose dramatically in 2025, marking the highest levels recorded in recent years. 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Over the same period, reported cybercrime incidents surged to 12.5 billion in 2025, compared to 3.6 billion in 2024 and 1.7 billion in 2023, reflecting a steep upward trajectory in attacks targeting digital systems, users, and online services. The trend is sharply growing amid the growing pressure on Kenya’s cybersecurity infrastructure, as increased connectivity and digital adoption continue to expand the attack surface for cyber criminal activity. Most targeted cyberattack areas: 2025 The report identified several key categories driving the surge in cybercrime: System vulnerabilities emerged as the most heavily exploited area, rising to over 12.1 billion cases in 2025, as attackers increasingly targeted weaknesses in operating systems, enterprise networks, and core digital infrastructure. This category remains the dominant driver of cyber risk, accounting for the largest of recorded incidents. Web application attacks recorded one of the fastest growth rates, increasing sharply to 39.8 million cases in 2025, up from just a few thousand cases earlier in the period. These attacks primarily targeted websites, online platforms, and cloud-based services, reflecting the growing exposure of Kenya’s digital economy. Botnet and DDoS attacks also rose significantly to 79.9 million cases in 2025, disrupting services through coordinated traffic overloads and increasingly affecting both public and private digital systems. Botnets are networks of infected devices, such as computers, phones, or IoT devices that are secretly controlled by hackers, while DDoS attacks involve using these compromised devices to flood and crash a website or online service by overwhelming it with massive traffic from multiple sources. Malware attacks remained persistent across the period, with fluctuations but a renewed rise in 2025 to 174,531 cases, continuing to affect end users and organisational systems through infections, data theft, and system compromise. Others: In addition, the data shows the emergence of more specialised attack types in recent years. Brute force attacks, which attempt to gain access to systems by repeatedly guessing login credentials, only appeared from 2024, rising from 4,114.36 in 2024 to 6,677.01 in 2025. Similarly, mobile application attacks targeting smartphones and app-based platforms such as fintech and banking services also emerge in 2024, increasing from 30.11 to 56.78 in 2025, reflecting the growing reliance on mobile digital services in Kenya. Overall, the data showed a clear shift in Kenya’s cyber threat landscape, from lower-level user-targeted attacks in earlier years to large-scale exploitation of infrastructure and system vulnerabilities by 2025, signalling increasing sophistication and intensity of cyber threats. Trend comparison (2023–2025) 2023: Cybercrime levels were already rising, with 1.7 billion incidents, driven by growing internet adoption. 2024: Incidents more than doubled to 3.6 billion, reflecting rapid digitisation across sectors. 2025: A further surge to 12.5 billion incidents, marking a record high and highlighting escalating exposure to cyber threats. Drivers of the increase: Digital-first economy The report links the surge to: Other Topics To Read Technology Headlines Digital Economy Cybercrime cybersecurity Malware digital transformation Economic Survey 2026 DDoS Attacks Cyber threats in 2025 hit all-time high of 12.5 billion in Kenya as digital transformation accelerates Business Rapid growth in the internet and smartphone penetration Expansion of mobile money and digital financial services Increased reliance on online platforms for business and government services Wider adoption of cloud computing, e-commerce, and digital communication tools While Kenya’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly, the report highlights that cyber threats are growing at an even faster pace. This is putting increased pressure on cybersecurity systems, as attackers increasingly target both public and private digital infrastructure.

Kenya is experiencing a sharp rise in cyber risks as increased internet use and ongoing digital transformation expose more systems to online threats, according to the Economic Survey 2026 report.

According to the report, released on Wednesday, both cybersecurity advisories and reported cybercrime incidents rose dramatically in 2025, marking the highest levels recorded in recent years.

Cybersecurity advisories increased to 72.3 million in 2025, up from 39.0 million in 2024 and 26.4 million in 2023, representing an 85 per cent year-on-year surge between 2024 and 2025. This sharp rise highlights a rapidly expanding digital threat environment, as well as intensified monitoring and reporting of cyber risks across networks, platforms, and institutions.

Over the same period, reported cybercrime incidents surged to 12.5 billion in 2025, compared to 3.6 billion in 2024 and 1.7 billion in 2023, reflecting a steep upward trajectory in attacks targeting digital systems, users, and online services.

The trend is sharply growing amid the growing pressure on Kenya’s cybersecurity infrastructure, as increased connectivity and digital adoption continue to expand the attack surface for cyber criminal activity.

Most targeted cyberattack areas: 2025

The report identified several key categories driving the surge in cybercrime:

System vulnerabilities emerged as the most heavily exploited area, rising to over 12.1 billion cases in 2025, as attackers increasingly targeted weaknesses in operating systems, enterprise networks, and core digital infrastructure. This category remains the dominant driver of cyber risk, accounting for the largest of recorded incidents.

Web application attacks recorded one of the fastest growth rates, increasing sharply to 39.8 million cases in 2025, up from just a few thousand cases earlier in the period. These attacks primarily targeted websites, online platforms, and cloud-based services, reflecting the growing exposure of Kenya’s digital economy.

Botnet and DDoS attacks also rose significantly to 79.9 million cases in 2025, disrupting services through coordinated traffic overloads and increasingly affecting both public and private digital systems. Botnets are networks of infected devices, such as computers, phones, or IoT devices that are secretly controlled by hackers, while DDoS attacks involve using these compromised devices to flood and crash a website or online service by overwhelming it with massive traffic from multiple sources.

Malware attacks remained persistent across the period, with fluctuations but a renewed rise in 2025 to 174,531 cases, continuing to affect end users and organisational systems through infections, data theft, and system compromise.

Others: In addition, the data shows the emergence of more specialised attack types in recent years. Brute force attacks, which attempt to gain access to systems by repeatedly guessing login credentials, only appeared from 2024, rising from 4,114.36 in 2024 to 6,677.01 in 2025. Similarly, mobile application attacks targeting smartphones and app-based platforms such as fintech and banking services also emerge in 2024, increasing from 30.11 to 56.78 in 2025, reflecting the growing reliance on mobile digital services in Kenya.

Overall, the data showed a clear shift in Kenya’s cyber threat landscape, from lower-level user-targeted attacks in earlier years to large-scale exploitation of infrastructure and system vulnerabilities by 2025, signalling increasing sophistication and intensity of cyber threats.

Trend comparison (2023–2025)

2023: Cybercrime levels were already rising, with 1.7 billion incidents, driven by growing internet adoption.

2024: Incidents more than doubled to 3.6 billion, reflecting rapid digitisation across sectors.

2025: A further surge to 12.5 billion incidents, marking a record high and highlighting escalating exposure to cyber threats.

Drivers of the increase: Digital-first economy

The report links the surge to:

Rapid growth in the internet and smartphone penetration

Expansion of mobile money and digital financial services

Increased reliance on online platforms for business and government services

Wider adoption of cloud computing, e-commerce, and digital communication tools

While Kenya’s digital economy continues to expand rapidly, the report highlights that cyber threats are growing at an even faster pace.

This is putting increased pressure on cybersecurity systems, as attackers increasingly target both public and private digital infrastructure.

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