[Edaily Reporter Shin Ha-yeon ] S2W Inc., a big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) company, announced on the 12th that it participated as a private-sector partner in the production of the “African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026,” recently released by Interpol.

This report was published as part of the “African Joint Cybercrime Operation (AFJOC),” supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It was compiled by combining survey data from law enforcement agencies in 36 African Interpol member countries with telemetry data and threat intelligence (TI) from global companies, including S2W, and nonprofit organizations.

According to the report, the financial losses from cybercrime reported in Africa more than doubled from $192 million in 2024 to $484 million last year. The number of confirmed victims also rose from 35,000 to 87,000 during the same period.

Notably, the investigation found that AI was utilized to some extent in 55% of cybercrimes reported in Africa last year. AI was identified as a key method that increased the speed, scale, and sophistication of attacks, as it was exploited to automate phishing campaigns, carry out deepfake-based impersonation, and generate synthetic identities for financial fraud.

S2W, the sole Korean partner of INTERPOL’s “Gateway Initiative,” utilized AI-based big data collection and analysis technologies in the production of this report. After identifying and classifying content originating from Africa on dark web forums, the company found that such content had increased by 62% compared to the previous year.

This content included a large number of items such as identification documents, SIM card PINs, bank account credentials, and mobile financial account information. Analysis revealed that a significant portion of this information had been leaked through past data breaches, phishing campaigns, and compromised mobile applications.

The report also highlighted that cyber threats originating in Africa are not confined to the region but are spreading to other countries through transnational criminal networks. In particular, it identified West Africa as a key hub connecting the African and global criminal ecosystems. Consequently, the report explains that the importance of public-private cooperation—which involves sharing information between nations and leveraging data and technology from private companies to identify and disrupt criminal infrastructure early on—is growing.

Neil Jetton, Director of Interpol’s Cybercrime Division, stated, “Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant threats in the African region,” adding, “AI automates every stage of a cyberattack, from preliminary reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion of detection.” He continued, “We are also confirming that through international cooperation, we can identify, neutralize, and dismantle cybercrime infrastructure.”

Seo Sang-deok, CEO of S2W, said, “S2W has focused on closely analyzing the state of cybercrime in developing countries—which are relatively vulnerable to cyberattacks due to insufficient infrastructure and institutional frameworks—and on providing high-quality intelligence that national law enforcement agencies can practically utilize to fill gaps in public safety.” “We will continue to advance our AI-based global data collection and analysis technologies to swiftly detect signs of security threats emerging around the world and support the response to transnational crime,” he said.