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Abuja, FCT – By Prime Brief Media

The National Information Technology Development Agency has issued an urgent cybersecurity alert over a dangerous new AI-powered malware identified as "DeepLoad," which is actively targeting government agencies, financial institutions, businesses, and individuals across Nigeria.

In an advisory released on Thursday and signed by its Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, NITDA warned that DeepLoad represents a significant escalation in the sophistication of cyber threats confronting the country. The malware leverages advanced artificial intelligence techniques to steal user credentials, harvest sensitive data, and spread laterally across compromised networks.

"DeepLoad uses AI to mimic legitimate user behaviour, making it extremely difficult for traditional signature-based antivirus solutions to detect. It can adapt its attack patterns in real-time based on the defences it encounters. This is a new generation of cyber threat, and all organisations must take it seriously," the advisory stated.

According to NITDA, the malware is primarily distributed through spear-phishing emails that appear to originate from trusted contacts and organisations. Once a system is compromised, DeepLoad establishes persistence, escalates privileges, and begins exfiltrating data to command-and-control servers located outside Nigeria.

The agency has issued a set of immediate mitigation guidelines, including the deployment of AI-powered endpoint detection and response solutions, mandatory multi-factor authentication for all critical systems, immediate patching of known vulnerabilities, and comprehensive employee awareness training on phishing risks.

NITDA also called on all public and private sector organisations to conduct urgent security audits and report any suspected compromises to the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team.

The warning comes amid a broader surge in cyber threats facing Nigeria. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission recently disclosed that the country records over 4,000 cyberattacks weekly, with estimated annual financial losses of about ₦12 billion. A Surfshark report this week ranked Nigeria as the 34th most breached country globally in the first quarter of 2026.

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

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