JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — March 25th, 2026 — Artificial
Intelligence has created a perfect storm for African enterprises, faced
with the unprecedented speed of AI-generated attacks and a persistent
shortage of cybersecurity skills.
For many organisations on the continent, the transition from “we think
we’re fine” to “we have evidence we’re exposed” has arrived in
the form of the [2]Check Point® Software Technologies AI Threat
Landscape Report (January/February 2026) [2]. [2]
The report, which offers a rare and critical snapshot of Agentic AI
patterns of operation over just two months, reveals a landscape defined
by reality rather than assumption. It brings global telemetry at scale
to a region—Africa—that is frequently underrepresented in local data
collection.
The findings are a stark reality check: while Africa remains the most
heavily affected region globally in terms of attack volume, averaging
over 3,000 attacks per organisation per week [3], AI adoption is
accelerating across every major economy, from enterprise copilots to
large-scale AI infrastructure powering critical services. Security is
lagging behind.
This means both global and African organisations are not only facing
AI-powered cyber attacks that are faster and more sophisticated, but
they are also deploying AI systems that introduce entirely new attack
surfaces, including models, data pipelines, and autonomous agents.
This dual challenge is creating a growing gap between innovation and
protection.
THE ERA OF THE “AUTONOMOUS ATTACKER”
The AI Threat Landscape Report covering the first two months of 2026
signals the official start of the “Agentic Era,” where AI has
transitioned from a content-creation tool to an operational component
capable of independent action.
The most alarming evidence of this shift is VoidLink, a cloud-native
malware framework uncovered by Check Point Research. In a feat that
redefines offensive velocity, a single developer using an AI-powered IDE
(TRAE SOLO) generated 88,000 lines of deployment-ready code in under a
week—a project that would traditionally require an entire engineering
team approximately 30 weeks of development effort.
“The only way we can address the scale and dimension of Agentic AI
attacks is not to focus on the human skills shortages, but to derive
answers using Agentic AI itself,” says Ian van Rensburg, Head: Security
Engineering, Africa at Check Point Software Technologies.
“Agentic AI is no longer just a future idea; it is already changing how
organisations in Africa work, innovate, and compete. Tasks that once
took teams months can now be done by individuals in just days.”
TRANSLATING TECHNICAL THREATS INTO BUSINESS RISK
For African executives juggling limited budgets and competing
priorities, the report serves as a catalyst for fast-tracking
decision-making. It provides the “board-level language” necessary for
CISOs and Security Engineers (SEs) to secure the leverage they need.
The data highlights several aggressive trends targeting the continent:
● Ransomware Growth: Accelerated by AI-driven automation.
● Targeted Phishing: Sophisticated campaigns specifically aimed
at African banks and telecommunications providers.
● API & Cloud Vulnerabilities: Increasing as businesses speed
up digital transformation without commensurate security controls.
THE NEW RISK SURFACE: ENTERPRISE GENAI
While threat actors weaponize AI, African businesses in sectors such as
retail, government, and financial services are adopting AI tools to stay
competitive. However, this rapid adoption is creating a parallel risk
surface.
Check Point’s analysis reveals that 90% of organisations using GenAI
tools experienced high-risk prompt activity, with 1 in every 31 prompts
risking the leakage of sensitive data, such as source code or
confidential business information. On average, employees use roughly 10
different GenAI tools, creating a “Shadow AI” environment that is nearly
impossible to manage without total visibility.
RETHINKING SECURITY FOR THE AGENTIC AGE
“Traditional methods that focus only on protecting infrastructure and
devices are no longer enough,” van Rensburg warns. “Security strategies
must now cover AI itself—how it is used, what data it can access, and
how it makes decisions.”
To navigate this landscape, Check Point advises African organisations to
adopt a three-pillar approach:
- Visibility First: Uncover hidden or unofficial AI tools within the
organisation. - Data Governance: Ensure sensitive information is not shared through
prompts or connected workflows. - AI-Driven Defense: Invest in security tools that can detect
anomalies and automate responses at the same pace as the automated
threats they face.
CONCLUSION: SECURITY AS A FOUNDATION
Agentic AI presents a historic opportunity for economic growth and
operational efficiency across Africa. However, the report makes it clear
that this potential can only be realised if security is treated not as
an afterthought, but as a foundational component of the AI strategy from
day one.
“Check Point is announcing new capabilities designed to secure both AI
systems and the infrastructure behind them, marking a shift toward
prevention-first cybersecurity in the age of AI.
Our insights into how the threat landscape is evolving can assist
organisations on what they need to do to secure AI-driven
environments,” van Rensburg concludes.
Follow Check Point Research via:
Blog: https://research.checkpoint.com/ [4]
X: https://twitter.com/_cpresearch_ [5]
About Check Point Research
Check Point Research (CPR) provides leading cyber threat intelligence to
Check Point Software customers and the greater intelligence community.
The research team collects and analyzes global cyber-attack data stored
on ThreatCloud to keep hackers at bay, while ensuring all Check Point
products are updated with the latest protections. The research team
consists of over 100 analysts and researchers cooperating with other
security vendors, law enforcement and various CERTs.
About Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.
Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (www.checkpoint.com [6]) is a
global cyber security leader protecting more than 100,000 organizations
worldwide. Its mission is to secure enterprises’ AI transformation.
With a prevention-first approach and an open ecosystem architecture,
Check Point helps organizations block advanced threats, prioritize
exposures, and automate security operations across complex digital
environments. The unified architecture simplifies protection across
hybrid networks, multi-cloud environments, digital workspaces, and AI
systems. Structured around four strategic pillars, Hybrid Mesh Network
Security, Workspace Security, Exposure Management, and AI Security,
Check Point delivers consistent protection and visibility across
multivendor environments, enabling organizations to reduce risk, improve
efficiency, and accelerate innovation without increasing complexity.
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements generally relate to future events or our future financial
or operating performance. Forward-looking statements in this press
release include, but are not limited to, statements related to our
expectations regarding our products and solutions, our expectations
regarding future growth, the expansion of Check Point’s industry
leadership, the enhancement of shareholder value and the delivery of an
industry-leading cyber security platform to customers worldwide. Our
expectations and beliefs regarding these matters may not materialize,
and actual results or events in the future are subject to risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ
materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements
contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and
uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 17,
2025. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based
on information available to Check Point as of the date hereof, and Check
Point disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements,
except as required by law.
