Morocco’s cyber security market has shot past the billion-dollar mark, propelled by a spike in cyber-attacks that is forcing government agencies, banks, and businesses to rethink their digital defences.
A new report by Ken Research shows the sector now stands at $1.2 billion, reflecting a decisive phase in Morocco’s digital risk landscape.
According to the report, Cyber incidents in the country have risen by 30% this year, adding to more than 1 300 recorded breaches in 2024, a troubling trend that has already produced some of the costly cyber disruptions in North Africa.
Recent years have seen Moroccan financial institutions hit by sophisticated phishing schemes, ransomware attacks crippling private companies in Casablanca, and attempted intrusions targeting critical government systems in Rabat.
In several cases, affected firms reported damages running into millions, including business shutdowns, data loss and expensive system rebuilds.
“The surge in sophisticated cyber threats has accelerated the demand for Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and round-the-clock Security Operations Centre (SOC) services across Morocco’s public and private sectors,” states the Ken Research report.
The country’s main cyber security hubs, Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier, are seeing heightened investment, especially from financial services, telecom operators and industrial firms.
A major turning point came with the rollout of Morocco’s National Cybersecurity Strategy in 2023, which set up a national agency and earmarked $100 million to strengthen the nation’s security systems.
The policy has pushed for tighter public-private collaboration to protect critical infrastructure and prepare the country for next-generation threats.
However, despite the strong market momentum, Morocco faces a widening cybersecurity skills gap.
“The country has just 6 000 certified cybersecurity professionals, against a national demand of more than 12 000,” the report warns.
High implementation costs, ranging from $27 000 (MAD 250 000) to over $130 00 (MAD 1.2 million), also continue to discourage smaller businesses from adopting advanced MDR and SOC solutions.
The report further notes that with Morocco’s digital economy expected to contribute $12.95 billion (MAD 120 billion) to GDP and cloud adoption projected to reach $2.16 billion (MAD 20 billion), the demand for cloud security and managed security services is exploding.
Revelations from the North African country are testament that as cyber threats intensify across Africa, digital growth will only be as strong as the security that protects it.
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