Kenya recorded six million cyber attacks targeting both private and government institutions in 2019, the annual report tabled in parliament says.
According to the report which explores the state of National Security, the cyber crimes reported include cases of SIM Swapping, hacking incidents, Insider threats, identity theft and Web Application attacks. Most of the crimes were committed with an intent for financial gain.
The report further says that Cyber crimes are common in key government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), saving and credit cooperative societies, banks and telecommunications service providers.
Read: Maraga Warns Of Surge In Cyber-Crime Cases Due To High Technology Uptake
The report also showed an increase in the number of cases handled by the DCI in the year in review. A total of 1,203 cases were examined at the DCI Digital Forensic Laboratory in 2019, compared to 992 cases in the previous year.
The increase of examined cases by 280 was attributed to the vibrant digital growth and technology uptake in the country.
“During the period under review, the country made remarkable stride in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector amidst invariable rise in cyber-crime and online fraud cases,” reads the report.
Read also: KTN Employee among Kenyan Fraudsters Arrested in Rwanda Over Cyber Crime
The courts are also receiving more cyber crime related cases with 360 cases reported in 2019 and 50 ongoing network forensic investigations at the Kenya Ports Authority offices in Mombasa and Kenya Revenue Authority in Nairobi.
According to the report, factors such as limited human and capital resources such as forensic tools have presented a challenge in the fight against cyber crime. Cyber crime is also complex in nature and thus challenging for law enforcement.
2020 already promises to have increased cyber crime especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen more people adapt to online tendencies. A report released by Evina last week showed that Kenya is currently leading in Mobile fraud in Africa.
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