• The Internet is growing rapidly in Africa, but there are significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
  • Quad9, a global DNS service that provides cybersecurity measures, protects privacy, and improves Internet performance, is already operating in Africa and can block access to malicious websites.
  • Quad9 is at the forefront of efforts to strengthen cybersecurity measures in Africa as it becomes easier for hackers to attack Internet users, but its DNS blocking is only a partial defence against attacks.

The opportunities and vulnerabilities created by the development of the Internet in Africa emphasise the importance of securing global DNS services. Quad9 is an NGO that works to blocks access to malicious websites, keeps users safe online, and is already operating in Africa.

A new report outlines the security threats blocked by Quad9 for existing users in Africa between March 1 and 21, 2024, including phishing, tracking software, spyware, and malvertising. The conclusions point to the increasing ease with which hackers can attack internet users and the need for Africa to strengthen its cybersecurity measures, with Quad9 at the forefront of efforts to reduce users’ susceptibility to cyberthreats by blocking connections to malicious websites.

Quad9 is a Switzerland-based non-profit organisation that aims to protect users and provide free access to DNS resources. However, its DNS-based blocking can only partially protect against attacks involving DNS.

The state of cybersecurity in Africa

Africa’s rapid growth in internet communications presents both opportunities and vulnerabilities, particularly for cyber criminals. Due to limited legal systems and trained personnel, many economies are at risk. However, awareness of threats is growing, leading governments and businesses to implement cybersecurity policies and develop a qualified workforce to combat these challenges.

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Security with Quad9

Quad9 is a global DNS service that provides enhanced cybersecurity measures, privacy protection, and higher Internet performance. Quad9 is able to block access to malicious websites, which is critical to the emerging African Internet economy. Quad9 helps keep people and businesses safe online.

To protect our customers, Quad9 uses constantly updated threat information to block DNS queries for malicious hostnames. This proactive measure protects computers, mobile devices, and other Internet systems from a wide range of cyber threats, such as malware, phishing, spyware, and botnets. Whenever an Internet-connected device using the Quad9 service attempts to access a malware-hosted website, Quad9 silently blocks the connection in the background, effectively preventing users from being infected by malware.

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Diversity of cyber threats

Thanks to the Quad9 service, users in Africa are protected from a wide range of cyber threats, including phishing, tracking software, spyware and malvertising.

The Quad9 security system has successfully protected African users from phishing attacks that cleverly mimic Google (apisgoogle and google.apisgoogle). Similar phishing attempts are a form of deception by which cybercriminals create emails, text messages or fake websites to make them appear legitimate. The aim is to trick users into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details or social security numbers. Once stolen, this information can be used to carry out other cyberattacks or to steal the victim’s identity.

Phishing and malvertising campaigns have been a significant threat to defences, with users visiting infected websites and receiving unwanted advertisements. Malvertising campaigns, likely orchestrated by the Omnatour network, target victims with pop-ups or push notifications, potentially leading to further malware infections or fraud. The rise of stalkerware targeting African users, disguised as everyday apps, steals their personal data and can be used for harassment, blackmail, or impersonation. The danger lies in stalkerware’s ability to disguise itself within seemingly harmless apps.