Google.org Supports CyberSafe Foundation In 3-year Cybersecurity Resilience Project Tagged Resilio Africa

CyberSafe Foundation, with funding support from Google.org will launch Resilio Africa, a 3-year cybersecurity resilience project that aims at reducing the growing risks of cyberattack in institutions and communities across Sub-Saharan Africa. The project will strengthen the cyber resilience of 200 Critical Community Institutions (CCIs) in the region through provision of free technical tools, assessments, threat intelligence and incident response frameworks. With this intervention, Resilio Africa aims to protect over 2 million people and secure more than 15 million public records in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, marking one of the most ambitious community-building efforts in Africa’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

The project will strengthen the cyber resilience of 200 Critical Community Institutions (CCIs) in the region through provision of free technical tools, assessments, threat intelligence and incident response frameworks. With this intervention, Resilio Africa aims to protect over 2 million people and secure more than 15 million public records in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, marking one of the most ambitious community-building efforts in Africa’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

"At Google.org, we believe that access to secure digital systems is a cornerstone of inclusive growth,” said Haviva Kohl, Senior Program Manager, Google.org. “Our support for CyberSafe Foundation’s CCI cybersecurity efforts reflect our shared commitment to empowering communities and protecting the institutions that serve them. Resilio Africa will help ensure that essential community organizations can operate safely and confidently in an increasingly digital world.”

Identifying the challenges across sub-Saharan Africa, a brief by CyberSafe Foundation noted that critical community infrastructure in the region is increasingly targeted by cyberattacks, with inadequate resources available to tackle them. “These institutions collect, process, and store vast amounts of sensitive personal data, yet most lack the corresponding cybersecurity maturity. Many operate on outdated systems, with limited cybersecurity capacity, low awareness of digital threats, and zero security budgets. According to INTERPOL, Africa experienced a 23% increase in ransomware attacks in 2023, with public and nonprofit institutions among the most impacted.”

Further citing data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Global Cybersecurity Index, the statement said that more than 60% of African countries fall into the “low commitment” category regarding national cybersecurity readiness. This contributes to limited institutional cybersecurity capacity, low awareness of digital threats, and little to no dedicated security budgets.

“As services become more digitized, this creates a dangerous gap that cybercriminals are actively exploiting through ransomware, phishing, data breaches, and DDoS disruptions, compromising public services, exposing sensitive data, and eroding public trust,” it said.

“In Kenya alone, over 114 CCI-targeted cyberattacks were recorded in the first eight months of 2024, followed by a 201% increase in cyber incidents by Q1 2025. In Nigeria, key government and healthcare systems still operate over unencrypted communication protocols. Institutions in Ghana and South Africa face similar threats but often lack the capacity to respond effectively. This widespread vulnerability exposes millions of citizens to both digital and physical harm.

Despite emerging national strategies, policy formulations and growing political will in the region, most CCIs are under-resourced and under-protected. Without immediate, scalable, and context-specific interventions, the region risks a surge in cyber incidents that could significantly disrupt essential community services.

Resilio Africa will strengthen cyber resilience of 200 CCIs through technical tools, assessments, customized playbooks and incident response frameworks; provide over 10,000 hours of pro bono cyber consulting to support CCI teams, build human capacity by delivering tiered training for executives, IT teams, and general staff with over 4500 employees and decision-makers trained; protect over two million people; and secure more than 15 million public records in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa.

“Africa’s digital transformation cannot succeed if our communities remain vulnerable,” said Confidence Staveley, Founder and Executive Director of CyberSafe Foundation. “With Google.org’s support, we are scaling a proven model of capacity-building that will help critical institutions become resilient, safeguard the people they serve, and preserve trust in digital public systems.” Application to the initiative is open and CCIs eligible to participate are to complete an online interest form guided by instructions on the website, www.resilio.cybersafefoundation.org.