The African Union Improves It's Investigative Skills Regarding Cybercrime And Virtual Assets.

According to reputable firms' forecasts, the cost of cybercrime damage is expected to increase by 15% annually, from $3 Trillion USD in 2015 to $10.5 Trillion USD annually by 2025. The cost associated with cybercrime include a number of factors, such as data loss and destruction; financial and personal data theft; lost productivity; embezzlement and fraud; disruption of regular business operations following an attack; forensic investigation, restoration, and deletion of compromised data and systems; and reputational harm.

The 2021 Africa cyber threat assessment report calculated that cybercrime in Africa contributed over USD 4 Billion in economic losses, or around 10% of the continent's GDP, since then, the problem has only gotten bigger, more significant, and more complicated. Between January and December 2023, Ransomware attacks against important infrastructure, such as Government buildings, hospitals, financial institutions, and internet service providers, were reported in over half of the African Nations studied.

Cybercriminals in Africa use more complex social engineering techniques to target human weaknesses as their main attack vector. Email Phishing is still a common first line of attack for Ransomware and online frauds, among cybercrimes. In keeping with local technological and social trends, criminals also take advantage of various communication channels, like social media and instant messaging applications.They are using new technology into their tactics, such as abusing artificial intelligence and stealing data for extortion. 

We can better prevent, investigate, and respond to cybercrime by arming law enforcement officers with cutting edge tactics and expertise. This will ultimately protect vital infrastructure and lessen the financial impact on the area.