Morocco ranks as one of Africa’s most targeted countries for distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, with more than 75,000 incidents recorded in the first half of 2025, according to new data from cybersecurity company NETSCOUT Systems.
The report placed Morocco second on the continent, behind South Africa, which registered more than 213,000 attacks during the same period. Kenya followed with more than 46,000 incidents. In Morocco, the telecommunications and research and development sectors were among the most frequently targeted.
Globally, NETSCOUT reported more than 8 million DDoS attacks in the first six months of 2025, with Europe, the Middle East, and Africa accounting for 3.2 million. Attack speeds peaked at 3.12 terabits per second and 1.5 billion packets per second.
The company linked spikes in cyberattacks to major political events. Switzerland experienced more than 1,400 attacks during the World Economic Forum, Italy was targeted amid political debates, and hackers struck Indian government and financial sectors during tensions with Pakistan. In the Middle East, the conflict between Tehran and Tel Aviv fueled more than 15,000 attacks against Iran and 279 against Israel.
“Africa has become firmly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals worldwide,” said Brian Hamman, NETSCOUT’s regional director for Africa. “Morocco, Kenya, and others face increasingly complex threats. Longer and larger attacks demonstrate attackers’ determination to disrupt essential services, making intelligence-driven defenses against DDoS not just strategic, but vital for business resilience.”
Moroccan officials have also raised alarms about rising cyber risks. Colonel Khalil Nassir, director of monitoring and expertise at the General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI), said during the recent Morocco Today forum that digital security must be integrated “by design” in all transformation projects.
With Morocco set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations beforehand, Nassir warned the country could attract more malicious actors. “Opportunistic attackers will be highly active, and we will need a more aware and informed society to face them,” he said.
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