A rise in cyber-dependent crimes is posing a growing threat to Ghana’s digital economy, with the Global Organised Crime Index warning that the trend is slowing technology adoption and affecting businesses and individuals.
The assessment of Ghana’s cybercrime landscape indicates that the problem became more pronounced around the COVID-19 pandemic, as increased reliance on digital platforms created more opportunities for criminals to exploit online vulnerabilities.
The report notes that criminals use a range of tactics to exploit the fears, insecurities and weaknesses of their victims, targeting both individuals and businesses.
It further identifies sophisticated organised crime groups as a major concern, particularly those using malicious software to gain access to sensitive personal and corporate information.
According to the report, such groups deploy malware to steal personal data and money, exposing businesses and individuals to significant financial and security risks.
The assessment also highlights botnet and crypto-miner attacks as specific threats facing Ghanaian businesses.
Ghanaian companies have reportedly experienced an above-average rate of such attacks, a situation the report says could further hamper economic growth and create additional challenges for businesses operating in international markets.
Botnets typically involve networks of compromised computers or other connected devices that can be controlled remotely by criminals.
Crypto-mining attacks, meanwhile, exploit the computing power of victims’ devices to generate cryptocurrency without their knowledge or consent.
