Healthcare institutions across Africa are facing a surge in cyberattacks, with hospitals, laboratories and digital health platforms increasingly becoming targets for cybercriminals, according to a senior executive at Microsoft.
Kerissa Varma, Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor for Africa, warned that the continent’s healthcare sector is confronting a “silent emergency” as rapid digitisation exposes critical medical systems to cyber threats.
Writing in an opinion piece, Varma said cybercriminals are exploiting the growing reliance on digital systems within hospitals and clinics.
“While doctors fight to save lives, cybercriminals are infiltrating hospitals, laboratories and clinics, turning life-saving environments into digital battlegrounds,” she said.
Major cyber incidents across Africa
Varma pointed to several recent cyber incidents that highlight the vulnerability of Africa’s healthcare infrastructure.
In May 2025, Mediclinic Southern Africa experienced a cyber extortion attack that compromised sensitive human resources data. Later that year, Lancet Laboratories faced regulatory penalties in South Africa for failing to notify patients of data breaches under the Protection of Personal Information Act.
Another major incident involved the National Health Laboratory Service, where a ransomware attack disrupted blood test processing nationwide, delaying critical healthcare services for millions.
Additional breaches were reported at M-Tiba, a Kenyan digital health platform managed by CarePay and backed by Safaricom, as well as Pharmacie.ma, a Moroccan pharmaceutical platform that reportedly experienced unauthorised data access.
Cyberattacks rising across the healthcare sector
According to Varma, healthcare organisations across Africa recorded an average of 3,575 cyberattacks per week in 2025, representing a 38 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
Such attacks often lead to system outages, encrypted patient data and the potential exposure of sensitive medical records on the dark web.
She explained that many African hospitals remain vulnerable due to legacy technology systems, fragmented infrastructure and underfunded IT teams.
The increasing use of open-source artificial intelligence tools in diagnostics and patient management—while cost-effective—can also introduce security vulnerabilities when not supported by enterprise-grade protection.
Medical records a high-value target
Varma noted that medical data has become one of the most valuable assets for cybercriminals.
Unlike credit card information, which can quickly expire, patient records contain long-term personal and health information that can be exploited for identity theft, fraudulent insurance claims and prescription scams.
“A single medical record can sell for as much as $310 on the dark web, compared with about $30 to $50 for credit card data,” she said.
Cybersecurity now a patient safety issue
Because hospitals rely on continuous system availability, cyberattacks can quickly escalate into life-threatening situations when medical systems are taken offline.
Varma noted that healthcare institutions are often pressured to pay ransoms to restore access, yet in two out of five cases where ransoms are paid, systems and data are not fully recovered.
She urged healthcare organisations to integrate cybersecurity into their broader operational resilience strategies, including investing in advanced threat detection technologies, maintaining strong data backups and conducting regular incident response drills.
Healthcare providers should also comply with regional data protection regulations such as the Protection of Personal Information Act in South Africa and similar laws in Nigeria and Kenya.
AI both a threat and a defence
Varma also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity. While attackers are using AI to create more convincing phishing campaigns—making them up to 4.5 times more effective—the same technology can help organisations detect, contain and respond to threats more quickly.
She emphasised the importance of stronger authentication systems, including phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication and strict access controls for sensitive medical systems.
Training hospital staff to identify phishing attempts and follow cybersecurity best practices is also critical.
“People are at the heart of cybersecurity,” Varma said. “Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue — it is a patient safety issue.”
As Africa’s healthcare sector continues to digitise, she stressed that protecting digital infrastructure must be treated with the same urgency as protecting patients’ lives.
“By investing in comprehensive cybersecurity strategies and AI-powered defences, Africa’s healthcare sector can strengthen its digital front lines and build safer, more resilient health systems,” Varma said.
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