The bottom line Cyber threats aren't generic, they adapt to local contexts. In Algeria and North Africa, 4 attack vectors are particularly active in 2025. Knowing them is the first line of defense.
Threat 1: Phishing in French and Darija
Algerian phishing in 2025 is no longer the typo-filled email from a "Nigerian prince." Current attacks are sophisticated: emails that perfectly mimic your bank, your telecom operator, or even your IT provider.
New vectors: fake Colis Algérie delivery SMS, fake WhatsApp messages from an "IT manager" requesting credentials, fake invoice PDFs containing malicious macros.
What changes in 2025: AI text generation tools create perfectly written phishing messages in French and Algerian Darija, without the errors that previously allowed detection.
Protection: team training to recognize phishing attempts, verification procedures for any unusual credential or transfer requests, and 2FA on all critical accounts.
Threat 2: Ransomware targeting SMEs
Ransomware, which encrypts your data and demands payment for decryption, is no longer reserved for large companies. "Ransomware-as-a-Service" offerings allow any malicious actor to launch attacks without technical expertise.
In Algeria, several SMEs suffered ransomware attacks in 2023-2024, with ransoms demanded between $5,000 and $50,000 in cryptocurrency. Most incidents were never made public.
Most common vectors: phishing email with malicious attachment, unpatched vulnerabilities on exposed servers, and unsecured RDP access (see threat 3).
Protection: tested offline backups, systematic updates, network segmentation, and team training.
Threat 3: RDP Exposed to the Internet
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). used for remote access to Windows servers, is one of the most exploited attack surfaces in Algeria. After the 2020 lockdowns, many companies opened their RDP to the internet to enable remote work. Many never closed it, or never secured it properly.
Attackers permanently scan the internet for open port 3389 (default RDP port). When they find one, they attempt brute force attacks on credentials. A weak password can be cracked in hours.
Exposure indicators: your RDP server is directly accessible from the internet, without VPN, without IP restriction, with admin accounts using standard passwords.
Protection: put RDP behind a VPN, change the default port, enable account lockout after repeated failures, use strong passwords and 2FA.
Threat 4: Social Engineering Targeting HR and Finance
"CEO fraud" (Business Email Compromise) and IT identity impersonation attacks target HR and finance functions of Algerian SMEs. The pattern: an email (or phone call) from a fake CEO, CFO, or "IT manager" requesting an urgent wire transfer, a supplier bank account change, or access to a critical system.
These attacks exploit hierarchical authority and urgency to bypass normal procedures. They succeed because nobody dares question an email "from the CEO."
Protection: dual validation procedure for any wire transfer or bank data modification, a company culture that encourages verification even of executive requests, and specific training for finance and HR teams.
Frequently asked questions
What to do if you've suffered a ransomware attack?
1. Isolate infected machines from the network immediately. 2. Do not pay the ransom without evaluating all alternatives. 3. Contact an incident response specialist. 4. Assess the state of backups. 5. Document the incident to improve your security posture. Response in the first hours is critical.
Are there Algerian bodies for reporting cyberattacks?
ANSSSI (Autorité Nationale de Sécurité des Systèmes d'Information) is the Algerian reference body for cybersecurity incidents affecting critical infrastructure. For SMEs, contact a specialized incident response provider in parallel.