As the continent continues to take the heaviest toll from cyber threats, Kenya’s wired telecommunications sector is the most targeted industry by Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in terms of volume and impact.
This is according to the latest global threat intelligence report from NETSCOUT, which notes that the country once more led East Africa for being most vulnerable to DDoS attacks, as evident during the first half of 2025, ranked third across Africa overall following South Africa and Morocco.
Attacks on wired telecoms were recorded at 20,349, followed relatively closely by wireless telecoms carriers (except satellite) in second place with 15,919 documented attacks, other computer related services took the top three places (8,730).
The total number of attacks recorded in Kenya was 46,786, the nation also saw repeated strikes on all forms of communications industries featuring strongly during this period.
Bryan Hamman, regional director for Africa at NETSCOUT highlighted that as the digital ecosystem in East African advances, the most targeted industries also grow.
He explained: “When we look at Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, Djibouti and South Sudan, it becomes apparent that as the digital landscape evolves across the region, so too do the top targeted sectors across each country.”
“This shows the adaptability and focus of the DDoS attackers and their readiness to shift strategies as they pursue new victims.
"Across East Africa, we’re seeing increasing aim being taken at sectors that might not be fully established yet but rather are still up-and-coming on a sovereign country’s radar, as well as traditional targets such as the telecommunications sector."
Despite DDoS attacks being centred on wired and wireless communications carriers, in terms of both volume and impact, Hamman warns that presence in other sectors, such clothing retailers and hotels is noteworthy.
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