Benin: Cybersecurity incidents mainly affect administration and financial players
August 28th 2025
According to the International Telecommunications Union, Benin is among the top performers in the West African sub-region in terms of cybersecurity. However, some key sectors remain exposed to IT attacks that weaken their systems.
In Benin, cybersecurity incidents mainly affect public services and the financial sector. This is according to the ” Vulnerability and Incident Report ” published by the Information Systems and Digital Agency (ASIN) during the latest Cyber Africa Forum.
When it comes to password leaks and password confidentiality loss due to a security breach, over 75% of incidents occurred in the two sectors mentioned between 2021 and 2024. 406 cases were observed in finance and 226 in public services, sectors also most affected by malware infections.
According to ASIN, ” these infections highlight the lack of a device filtering and control policy, centralized antivirus updates, and network isolation to limit spread .” Both sectors also lead the way in cases of website hacking, a type of cyber incident that results in partial or total takeover of institutional sites, often for defacement or the injection of malicious scripts.
The root causes of these cyber incidents include configuration flaws, lack of security patches, poor access management, and insufficient staff awareness. ” The majority of serious incidents such as data breaches, website hacking, or malware infections are caused by largely preventable technical and organizational flaws ,” adds the ASIN.
Yet, Benin is among the top performers in cybersecurity in Africa. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the country had a score of 91.54 out of 100 on the Global Cybersecurity Index in 2024, ranking it in the Tier 2 category. According to the ITU, countries in this category ” have demonstrated a strong commitment to cybersecurity through coordinated, government-led actions .”
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