According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2019 about 4,1 billion people worldwide used the Internet. Indicating an increase of 5,3% in relation to the previous year.
The ITU estimated that in 2019 in the least developed countries, only 19% of individuals used the internet, compared with 87% in developed countries. On this scale, Africa obtained the lowest rating, with only 28% of individuals using the Internet, compared to Europe, which obtained the highest rating, with 83% of individuals using the Internet.
That same year, the African continent had the highest percentage of offline population in the world, and most countries in this condition are located in Central, East and West Africa. Despite disparities in Internet penetration in Africa and elsewhere, the African continent still shows that it is quite vulnerable to cybercrime.
This is because most Africans who are being exposed to the internet, due to a number of factors such as broad internet coverage, lack basic technical knowledge on how to use it, making it an easy target for transnational cybercriminals.
In 2016, approximately 24 million malware incidents reached several countries on the continent. In 2017, malware, spam emails and software piracy, among other crimes, were reported in many African countries. According to a report by Interpol, the inadequacy or absence of cybercrime laws and under-documentation of crime in Africa were preventing the fight against cybercrime.
At continental level, in 2014, the African Union (AU) adopted the convention on Cybersecurity and Protection of Personal Data. However, only 14 of the 55 AU member countries have signed the convention, and only seven have ratified it by January 2020, says the Interpol report.
The convention needs to be ratified by at least 15 member countries to enter into force, that is, it has not yet entered into force. This shows that cybersecurity is still not perceived as a necessity by many African countries, which further exacerbates the problem.
How is the situation in Angola?
- In February 2017, the Angolan Government approved the Law of Protection of Computer Networks and Systems, which includes cyberterrorism, with a view to protecting citizens and organizations from cyber attacks.
- The approved law has a scope in which crimes committed in national territory by Angolan citizens, foreigners or by a legal person domiciled in Angolan territory, even if they target targets located outside Angola, or in the opposite situation, where the crime is committed outside Angola but targeting data located in the country.
According to the Interpol report, African nations are losing millions of dollars in the world of cyber crime, as in 2017 economic losses on the continent reached USD 3,5 billion.
Nigeria recorded losses of USD 649 million, Kenya was USD 210 million, while South Africa also reported large economic losses due to cyber attacks, lost about USD 157 million.
Cyber crimes in Africa include child sexual abuse and exploitation, environmental crimes, human trafficking, arms and drug trafficking, and illicit trade in minerals, among others.
