In its second-quarter report, Kaspersky estimated that 2,023,501 attacks were carried out in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Ethiopia from April to June 2020.

The cybercriminals used a variety of methods, for instance, you might be using the internet and misleading you to another site, showing you that there is something you need to look at, asking you to include his or her profile, which can then be used to steal.

This information may include the confidential information you use in financial services such as bank accounts, debit cards, or the number of passwords you use on social media.

This opens the way for theft of money, or disrupted communications.

Kaspersky said South Africans had the highest number of such attacks as 616,666 in the three months, followed by Kenya (514,361), Egypt (492,532), Nigeria (299,426), Rwanda (68,931) and Ethiopia (31,585).

RIB recently announced that during the lockdown set up due to COVID-19, normal thefts have decreased, but cyber-crimes have risen.

The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) Secretary-Genera, Rtd Col Ruhunga Jeannot said the figures show that cybercrime has risen by over 50%.