Africa’s mining, oil and gas sector is becoming one of the continent’s most attractive targets for cyber criminals. As operations become automated , connected, and data-driven, cyberattacks are no longer limited to the theft of information.
They can interrupt production, disrupt supply chains and compromise worker safety. INTERPOL’s 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report puts a figure on the risk: cybercrime now accounts for more than 30% of reported crime in West and East Africa, with losses across the continent estimated at over US$3 billion since 2019.
The end of isolated operations
For many years, operational technology (OT) environments were largely separated from corporate IT systems, limiting their exposure to external threats. Today, that separation has mostly disappeared.
Modern mining, oil and gas operations rely on information flowing between operational systems, business applications, cloud environments and remote users. Across Africa, these companies are embracing Industrial IoT, automation , cloud platforms and remote operations to improve efficiency and productivity.
However, increased connectivity means cyber incidents are no longer confined to technology systems; they have become business events.
In an industry where downtime is measured in millions rather than minutes, cyber resilience has become essential to business continuity.
Recent events demonstrate how interconnected these risks have become. A ransomware attack on Australian mining technology provider Scope Systems disrupted ERP services used by dozens of mining companies, demonstrating how a single third-party supplier can have consequences across the sector.
African mining companies face the same challenge. As operations become more connected and dependent on specialist technology partners, cyber resilience must extend well beyond an organisation’s own network.
The greatest risk facing many organisations is the assumption that cyber security is an IT problem, when it’s actually a core operational risk. This assumption shows up most clearly in who is held accountable for securing the environment after a breach.
Until that question is settled in writing, and at board level, every control an organisation buys is being deployed into a governance vacuum.
Cyber resilience starts long before an incident occurs
Yet despite these growing risks, many organisations still approach cyber security reactively. Persistent skills shortages, connectivity constraints at remote sites and fragmented regulatory environments make building cyber resilience particularly challenging.
This is why cyber security strategies are shifting from reactive defence to proactive risk management through continuous monitoring, threat intelligence, exposure management, and rapid incident response.
And this shift begins with assessment, i.e., structured cyber security risk assessments, security controls assessments, and network architecture reviews that help organisations like Liquid C2 better understand their clients' vulnerabilities.
Technology is only one part of the solution, since many successful attacks still target people through phishing, social engineering and credential theft. Too often, security awareness programmes become compliance exercises rather than real efforts to change behaviour; building resilience requires ongoing education, testing and reinforcement.
Governance decides where the risk sits
Mining, oil and gas groups rarely operate in a single country. One organisation may run sites across several jurisdictions, each with its own data protection and incident reporting requirements.
The risk is not the paperwork. It is that security ends up being applied unevenly from site to site, and an incident at the weakest one can go unnoticed until it has reached the rest of the business.
Compliance readiness closes that gap, which is why Liquid C2's Secure360 approach starts with governance rather than technology. One standard applied consistently across every operation and a clear view of where the organisation is genuinely exposed.
Many operations across the continent run without a dedicated security executive, which means risk decisions default to whoever is available rather than whoever is accountable.
Virtual CISO models and structured cyber security strategy development are increasingly how organisations close that gap without waiting for a scarce hire.
A holistic approach to protecting against cyber threats
As mining companies accelerate digital transformation, adopting a holistic cybersecurity strategy is essential for resilience. Protecting operations requires integrating governance, risk management, continuous visibility across IT and OT, proactive threat detection, and well-rehearsed incident response.
This comprehensive approach helps organisations anticipate, withstand, and recover from sophisticated threats, ensuring safe and continuous operations.
Liquid C2's Secure360 portfolio exemplifies this by embedding governance, risk, and compliance as the foundation for effective defence and solutions.
As Africa’s mining, oil, and gas sector becomes increasingly connected, embedding cyber resilience into operational design and governance is crucial.
Organisations that adopt comprehensive cyber security measures will be better positioned to protect their people, sustain production, and support long-term growth. Industry stakeholders must prioritise a holistic approach to cybersecurity to enhance resilience and operational security.
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