CyberSafe Foundation, Google.org launch new project to safeguard African communities

The three-year project aims to strengthen the cyber resilience of 200 critical community institutions (CCIs), including government agencies, healthcare facilities, and nonprofit organisations, in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. Through the initiative, these institutions will receive technical tools, risk assessments, threat intelligence, and incident response frameworks at no cost.

Resilio Africa is expected to protect over 2 million people and secure more than 15 million public records, making it one of the largest community-focused cybersecurity efforts in the region.

CyberSafe Foundation noted that many CCIs in Sub-Saharan Africa operate on outdated systems, have limited cybersecurity capacity, and often lack dedicated security budgets. Data from INTERPOL shows Africa experienced a 23% increase in ransomware attacks in 2023, with public and nonprofit institutions among the most affected.

“In Kenya alone, over 114 CCI-targeted cyberattacks were recorded in the first eight months of 2024, followed by a 201% increase in incidents by early 2025,” the foundation said. Similar vulnerabilities exist in Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa, exposing millions of citizens to potential digital and physical harm.

Resilio Africa will also provide over 10,000 hours of pro bono cyber consulting, train 4,500 employees and decision-makers, and develop customized cybersecurity playbooks for participating institutions.