Cybercrime and dark web in Africa

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2024.4.3-4.278

Keywords:

dark web, TOR, cybercrime, Africa, cybersecurity, crypto currency

Abstract

The widespread availability of smart devices and internet access has radically transformed the continent’s cybersecurity landscape. However, this sudden technological change was not accompanied by the development of a robust cybersecurity infrastructure. State actors, economic operators, and the population were unprepared for the risks associated with new technology. Criminals have taken advantage of this situation, resulting in various types of cyberattacks against actors in economic life, state institutions, critical infrastructures, and the population. The author hypothesized that there is a correlation between cybercrime rates and dark web usage in African countries. To test this hypothesis, quantitative data was collected on internet penetration, cybercrime statistics, and dark web usage.

The analysis of the collected data confirmed the hypothesis that there is a correlation between a country's use of the dark web and the severity of cybercrime.

References

Africa Center for Strategic Studies. (n.d.). Understanding Africa’s Emerging Cyber Threats. Retrieved June 20, 2024 from https://africacenter.org/programs/cyber/

Allen, N. (2021). Africa’s Evolving Cyber Threats. Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved July 7, 2024 from https://africacenter.org/spotlight/africa-evolving-cyber-threats

Allen, N., & van der Waag-Cowling, N. (2021). How African states can tackle state-backed cyber threats. Brookings. Retrieved June 23, 2024 from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-african-states-can-tackle-state-backed-cyber-threats/

Check Point Research. (2023). Global Cyberattacks Continue to Rise with Africa and APAC Suffering Most. Retrieved June 2021, 2024 from https://blog.checkpoint.com/research/global-cyberattacks-continue-to-rise/

Economic Commission for Africa. (2022). ECA launches the Guideline for a Model Law on Cybersecurity during the 17th IGF. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Retrieved June 14, 2023 from https://www.uneca.org/stories/eca-launches-the-guideline-for-a-model-law-on-cybersecurity-during-the-17th-igf

Finra. (n.d.). Pig Butchering’ Scams: What They Are and How to Avoid Them. Retrieved June 19, 2024 from https://www.finra.org/investors/insights/pig-butchering-scams

Flashpoint. (2020). Dark Web Marketplaces 2020. Flashpoint-Intel. Retrieved December 12, 2024 from https://flashpoint.io/resources/research/flashpoint-pricing-analysis-dark-web-marketplaces-2020/

Gillis, A. (2023). What is Cyber Espionage? How to Protect Against It. Search Securit. Retrieved June 15, 2024 from https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/cyber-espionage

Interpol. (2023). African Cyberthreat Assessment Report Cyberthreat Trends file:///C:/Users/bened/Downloads/2023_03%20CYBER_African%20Cyberthreat%20Assessment%20Report%202022_EN.pdf

Interpol. (2024a). Interpol African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2024 file:///C:/Users/bened/Downloads/24COM005030-AJFOC_Africa%20Cyberthreat%20Assessment%20Report_2024_complet_EN%20v4.pdf

Interpol. (2024b). Interpol Global Financial Fraud Assessment file:///C:/Users/bened/Downloads/24COM005563-01%20-%20CAS_Global%20Financial%20Fraud%20Assessment_Public%20version_2024-03%20v2.pdf

Kaspersky. (2019). Tips on How to Protect Yourself against Cybercrime. Retrieved June 10, 2024 from https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/what-is-cybercrime

Positive Technologies. (2023). Cybersecurity threatscape of African countries 2022–2023. Retrieved June 15, 2024 from https://www.ptsecurity.com/ww-en/analytics/africa-cybersecurity-threatscape-2022-2023

The Organized Crime Index. (2024). Countries with the Highest Cyber-dependent crimes rate in Africa - The Organized Crime Index. Retrieved June 30, 2024 from https://africa.ocindex.net/rankings/cyber-dependent_crimes?f=rankings&view=List&group=Country&order=DESC&region=&criminality-range=0%2C10&state-range=0%2C10

Downloads

Published

2025-02-03

How to Cite

Gulyás, A. (2025). Cybercrime and dark web in Africa. Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies, 4(3-4), 109–129. https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2024.4.3-4.278