Botswana must move beyond viewing cybersecurity as an information technology concern and instead treat it as a national resilience issue, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit artificial intelligence, outdated systems, and weak cyber hygiene to target organisations, according to cybersecurity expert David Moepeng of Cybersmart Botswana.
His warning comes amid growing concern over the continent’s cyber threat landscape following the release of the INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, which estimates that cybercrime inflicted US$5 billion in direct economic losses across Africa in 2025. The report found that more than 55% of cybercrime cases now involve artificial intelligence, while Southern Africa has become a hotspot for ransomware, phishing, and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.
According to the report, Botswana accounts for 1.34% of botnet detections and 1% of unpatched system vulnerabilities across Africa, with exposed routers, VPNs, and cloud management portals identified as common entry points for attackers.
Moepeng said many successful cyberattacks are not the result of sophisticated hacking techniques but rather organisations failing to address basic security weaknesses.
“Cybercriminals actively scan the internet looking for organisations that have not installed security updates or are running outdated software,” he said, noting that attacks can lead to business disruption, financial losses, theft of sensitive customer information, and reputational damage.
He argued that the biggest obstacle is often organisational culture rather than technology.
“Some organisations still view cybersecurity as an IT issue rather than a business risk that requires leadership attention,” he said, adding that budget limitations, a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, and limited employee awareness continue to delay critical software updates and weaken security practices.
While Botswana’s financial institutions and telecommunications companies have made notable investments in cybersecurity technologies and regulatory compliance, Moepeng cautioned that evolving threats require organisations to prepare for incidents rather than assume they can prevent every attack.
He said resilience depends on having tested incident response plans, reliable backups, regular cyber exercises, and clear recovery procedures. He also warned that smaller businesses within supply chains remain attractive targets for criminals seeking indirect access to larger organisations.
Artificial intelligence is adding another layer of complexity to the country’s cybersecurity landscape.
Moepeng said AI is enabling criminals to produce convincing phishing emails, realistic voice impersonations, deepfake content, and increasingly sophisticated malware, making attacks harder for ordinary users to detect. Although Botswana has capable cybersecurity professionals and committed law enforcement agencies, he said responding effectively to AI-powered threats will require sustained investment in specialised skills, digital forensics, and advanced threat detection.
He stressed that building national capacity should extend beyond technical experts.
“We need ongoing training for cybersecurity professionals, investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary,” he said, adding that public awareness remains one of the country’s strongest defences against AI-enabled scams.
Moepeng also called for stronger collaboration between government and the private sector to improve cyber resilience.
He said Botswana should establish mechanisms for real-time threat intelligence sharing involving regulators, financial institutions, telecommunications providers, internet service providers, academia, and private companies. He noted that organisations are often reluctant to disclose cyber incidents because of reputational concerns, despite the benefits that shared information offers in preventing similar attacks elsewhere.
Beyond information sharing, he recommended strengthening minimum cybersecurity standards across all sectors, promoting regular cyber risk assessments, expanding awareness programmes for businesses and communities, and investing in local cybersecurity talent through partnerships between government, universities, industry, and civil society.
“Ultimately, cybersecurity is not just a technology issue; it is a national resilience issue,” Moepeng said, urging Botswana to invest in collaboration, education, and proactive risk management to better prepare for the cyber threats of the future.
