Angola accounts for 38% of Africa’s botnet detections
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Expansão
Illustrative image · Sora Shimazaki · Pexels · Licence PexelsAngola accounts for 38% of botnet detections recorded in 36 African countries, according to the International Criminal Police Organisation’s 2026 cyberthreat assessment report. The measure is based on malicious communications captured by FortiGuard Labs tools, not the proportion of infected devices.
Angola accounts for 38% of botnet detections recorded in the 36 African countries studied by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol). The figure comes from the 2026 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment report, based on data from FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s digital threat research laboratory, Expansão reports.
The proportion measures the volume of malicious communications detected by the laboratory’s sensors, not the share of devices infected in Angola. Botnets are networks of computers, phones, routers or connected devices remotely controlled by cybercriminals and often used to spread ransomware.
Interpol’s survey cross-referenced responses from 36 countries with telemetry from cybersecurity companies, including Fortinet, Shadowserver and TrendAI. The report links the high detection figures to insufficiently secured connected devices, particularly cameras and routers retaining their original passwords, outdated or pirated software, and limited use of antivirus software and firewalls, according to Expansão.
