Ghana is rapidly becoming one of West Africa’s most digitized nations. Accelerated fintech adoption, expanding e-commerce, mobile money penetration, and ambitious national digitalization programs have dramatically increased the country’s cybersecurity exposure.
As cybercriminals grow more sophisticated, Ghana faces new and evolving digital threats that impact individuals, businesses, and national infrastructure.
This article provides an authoritative and deeply researched overview of the major cybersecurity threats confronting Ghana, drawing on expert analyses, government reports, and sector-specific insights.
Mobile Money Fraud and Digital Financial Crime
Ghana’s booming mobile money ecosystem, one of the most extensive globally, has become a prime target for cybercriminals. Mobile money transactions exceeded GHC 570 billion in 2024, attracting fraudsters who exploit weak authentication, social engineering, and SIM-swap attacks.
According to a 2025 threat assessment, mobile money fraud ranks among Ghana’s top five cyber threats, fuelled by:
Fake mobile money reversals
Social engineering via impersonation
Account takeover using SIM-related vulnerabilities
Fraudulent digital lending schemes
The mass adoption of mobile payments increased the attack surface, making financial cybercrime one of Ghana’s most persistent cybersecurity challenges.
Ransomware Targeting Critical Industries
Ransomware has evolved into one of Ghana’s most damaging cyber threats. In 2024, several Ghanaian financial institutions reportedly faced double-extortion ransomware attacks, where attackers both encrypted and exfiltrated sensitive data.
Key affected sectors include:
Banking & Fintech
Healthcare (hospital systems increasingly digitized)
Energy providers
Government services
A separate analysis highlights that ransomware remains a growing threat to both businesses and government agencies, with SMEs particularly vulnerable due to limited investment in security defences.
The operational, financial, and reputational damage from ransomware is expected to intensify as cybercriminal groups adopt more advanced tools.
Attacks on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)
Ghana’s major infrastructure, such as energy networks, telecommunications systems, and the Port of Tema, is increasingly exposed as operational technology (OT) becomes more digitized.
Cybersecurity professionals warn that attacks on CNI are no longer theoretical, and successful breaches could disrupt national stability.
Risks include:
Disruption of electricity distribution
Compromised port logistics and shipping systems
National telecom outages
Attacks on digital government platforms
The Cybersecurity (Amendment) Bill 2025 explicitly strengthens regulatory protections for CNI, reflecting the urgency of this threat.
Digital Identity Theft and Ghana Card Exploitation
The introduction of the Ghana Card-a nationwide biometric ID system- plays a central role in Ghana’s digital transformation. However, the centralized identity database has become a high-value target.
Criminals can leverage stolen digital identities to:
Open fraudulent bank accounts
Obtain loans under false identities
Commit online fraud and impersonation
As the Ghana Card becomes more widely integrated into public and private-sector services, the consequences of identity theft grow more severe.
Online Fraud, Scams, and Social Engineering
Ghana continues to grapple with increasing cases of online scams and fraud, including:
Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Romance scams
Payment diversion fraud
Employment and scholarship scams
Part of the motivation behind the Cybersecurity Amendment Bill 2025 is to counter rising online fraud and digital deception. The Bill aims to modernize enforcement powers to address cybercrime, following Ghana’s GHC19 million in cybercrime losses in the first nine months of 2025 and a 52% increase in reported cyber incidents.
Weak Supply Chain and Third-Party Security
As Ghanaian companies embrace cloud services, outsourced IT talent, and SaaS platforms, third-party risks have surged. Attackers often target:
Vendor-managed systems
Payment processors
Outsourced customer support systems
Unpatched cloud workloads
Modern cyberattacks increasingly exploit supply chain vulnerabilities, a trend highlighted by international cybersecurity reports referenced in Ghana-focused analyses.
Rising Sophistication of Cyber Attacks Enabled by AI
Al-driven cyber threats are accelerating:
AI-powered phishing
Automated brute-force attacks
Deepfake-enabled impersonation
Al-assisted malware evasion techniques
Cybersecurity researchers emphasize the need for AI-enabled defence systems to counter the exponential complexity of modern attacks.
Conclusion
Ghana’s digital transformation continues to bring enormous economic opportunities but also exposes the nation to a rapidly expanding set of cybersecurity threats.
From mobile money fraud and ransomware to CNI risks and regulatory challenges, the threat landscape demands coordinated national action, investment in technical capacity, and a balanced governance framework.
To strengthen resilience, Ghana must:
Enhance national cybersecurity awareness and digital literacy
Invest in advanced digital forensics and AI-driven defence
Build a skilled and well-resourced cybersecurity workforce
Balance national security with civil liberties and digital rights
Improve industry-government collaboration
Ghana’s digital rise is unstoppable – but resilience must rise with it. With the right strategy, policies, and partnerships, we can protect our people, our businesses, and our national infrastructure.
