Senate orders crackdown on bandits flaunting crime cash on TikTok

Abuja, FCT – By Prime Brief Media

Nigeria recorded 281,500 compromised user accounts in the first quarter of 2026, ranking as the 34th most breached country globally, according to a new quarterly analysis by cybersecurity firm Surfshark. The figures paint a sobering picture of systemic vulnerabilities in Africa’s largest digital economy amid a global surge in data breaches and the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence by businesses worldwide.

The Surfshark report, released this week, reveals that a total of 210.3 million accounts were breached globally between January and March 2026, nearly triple the level recorded in the same period of 2025 and up 22 percent from the previous quarter. The United States ranked first, accounting for 29 percent of all breaches, followed by France, India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. While Nigeria’s quarterly figure appears modest by comparison, the long-term trend tells a far more concerning story.

Since 2004, Nigeria has ranked as the third most affected country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a cumulative total of 24.1 million compromised user accounts. Of these, 7.5 million unique email addresses have been exposed, alongside 13 million leaked passwords. The depth of the crisis means that 54 percent of breached Nigerian users face an immediate risk of account takeover, which could lead to identity theft, extortion, or other forms of cybercrime. In practical terms, an estimated 10 out of every 100 Nigerians have been impacted by data breaches since 2004.

The scope of compromised information extends far beyond login credentials. According to the Surfshark analysis, breaches have exposed highly sensitive personal data, including 1.9 million phone numbers, 925,800 physical addresses, 3,900 Social Security Numbers, and 1,600 payment card details.

AI adoption driving breach surge

The global spike in data breaches coincides with a massive acceleration in the adoption of artificial intelligence by companies. In 2025, 20.2 percent of companies reported using AI, more than double the 8.7 percent recorded in 2023. Surfshark’s Chief Security Officer, Tomas Stamulis, suggests a direct correlation between rapid AI integration and the increase in data leaks.

“As companies rapidly adopt AI, they increase the amount of user data stored and expand the number of digital systems they use. AI-driven systems collect more detailed information for analytics and automation. While this improves efficiency, it creates a larger, more complex environment for hackers to exploit. There are simply more points where sensitive information can be exposed,” Stamulis explained.

Stamulis warned that a data leak is not a temporary inconvenience but a permanent threat. Hackers frequently package leaked information into combo lists, reselling them repeatedly on the dark web. “Even after 10 or 20 years, leaked data remains valuable for committing fraud and stealing money,” he said.

Nigeria’s broader cybersecurity picture

The Surfshark findings come against the backdrop of a deteriorating cybersecurity landscape in Nigeria. Figures presented by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) at the IoT West Africa Conference 2026 indicate that the country now records over 4,000 cyberattacks weekly, with estimated financial losses of about N12 billion in 2024. Nigeria is now regarded as one of Africa’s most targeted cyber environments, accounting for about 45 percent of reported cybercrime incidents on the continent.

Attack patterns include phishing, ransomware, business email compromise, distributed denial-of-service attacks, and identity theft, targeting financial institutions, telecom platforms, and public systems. Meanwhile, the NDPC has disclosed that nearly 90 percent of Nigeria’s data is hosted outside Africa, raising concerns around data sovereignty, regulatory control, latency, and national security exposure.

The National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, warned that regulatory and physical infrastructure must evolve to match the pace of digital growth. Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the GAID 2025 framework, the Commission has introduced stricter compliance obligations, including mandatory breach reporting within 72 hours, ISO certification requirements, and compulsory audits for data controllers and processors.

Prime Brief Media is monitoring digital security channels and will report on any additional breaches or advisories.

#CyberWatch #DataBreach #Surfshark #Cybersecurity #Nigeria #PrimeBriefMedia