Over 150,000 Nigerian Accounts Compromised in H1 2025 Despite Q2 Drop – Surfshark Report
More than 150,000 Nigerian digital accounts were compromised in the first half of 2025, according to a new cybersecurity report by Surfshark. The report highlights ongoing risks within Nigeria’s digital landscape, even though data breaches declined by 73% between Q1 and Q2—from 120,000 incidents to 31,800.
This worrying trend puts Nigeria among the most vulnerable countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, ranking 3rd in the region for total breaches since records began in 2004.
Breach Statistics Reveal Persistent Cybersecurity Gaps
Despite the positive dip in Q2 numbers, the total 150,000+ compromised accounts in just six months reveal persistent cybersecurity threats facing individuals and businesses in Nigeria.
“In today’s digital age, we are constantly sharing personal data. In the wrong hands, this information can lead to identity theft, scams, or be sold on the dark web,” said Sarunas Sereika, Product Manager at Surfshark.
Nigeria’s Historical Exposure to Breaches
Surfshark’s long-term data shows that Nigeria has recorded 23.3 million breached accounts since 2004.
- Over 13 million of these leaks included passwords, putting 56% of users at heightened risk of account takeover, extortion, or identity theft.
- An estimated 7.3 million unique Nigerian email addresses have been exposed.
- Statistically, 10 in every 100 Nigerians have been affected by a data breach.
Global Data Breaches Surge in Q2 2025
While Nigeria saw a drop in Q2, the global threat landscape worsened, with data breaches rising 34% globally from 70 million in Q1 to 94 million in Q2.
Top 5 countries by number of compromised accounts in Q2 2025:
- United States – 42.5 million
- France – 11.4 million
- India – 1.7 million
- Germany – 1.3 million
- Israel – 1.2 million
Highest breach density per 1,000 people:
- France – 172
- Israel – 130
- USA – 123
- Singapore – 26
- Canada – 24
Types of Data Exposed in Breaches
Surfshark revealed that each breached account is counted via individual email addresses, and many leaks also include:
- Passwords
- IP addresses
- Phone numbers
- Postal/Zip codes
The data was pulled from 29,000 publicly accessible databases, anonymised, and aggregated before analysis. Countries with under one million residents were excluded from the global data scope.
How Nigerians Can Protect Themselves from Cyber Threats
Cybersecurity experts recommend:
- Using strong, unique passwords for each online service
- Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Regularly updating passwords
- Avoiding suspicious links or downloads
- Using VPNs and secure browsers
Conclusion
While the drop in Nigeria’s Q2 breach numbers is a step in the right direction, the overall exposure in H1 2025 shows that data security remains a major concern. With millions of Nigerians’ digital identities at stake, proactive cybersecurity measures are more critical than ever.
