26 Mar Kaspersky and AFRIPOL join forces to tackle cyber training

Kaspersky has expanded its collaboration with the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL), delivering a series of cybersecurity training programmes to strengthen law enforcement capabilities across the continent as cybercrime grows in sophistication and scale. 

Conducted between November 2025 and March 2026, the initiative brought together around 40 officers from 23 African countries, equipping them with practical skills in Security Operations Centre (SOC) activities and advanced threat hunting techniques.  

The programme forms part of a broader cooperation agreement signed between the two organisations in 2024, reflecting a long-term push to enhance cyber resilience through cross-sector collaboration, per the company press release. 

The training focused on real-world investigative capabilities, including identifying malicious activity across Windows and Linux systems, analysing attacker tactics, techniques and procedures, and applying threat intelligence to detect advanced threats. Participants also engaged in a series of interactive online Q&A sessions with experts from Kaspersky’s Security Services team, allowing them to explore complex scenarios and deepen their understanding of modern cyber defence strategies. 

“Cybercrime today is highly sophisticated, borderless and constantly evolving, which means no single organisation can tackle it alone. This is why cooperation and knowledge sharing between the private cybersecurity sector and law enforcement agencies are so critical. Our long-standing collaboration with AFRIPOL demonstrates the value of this approach. Over the years, Kaspersky and AFRIPOL have worked together to better understand the cyberthreat landscape across Africa and to support international efforts aimed at disrupting cybercrime. By continuing to invest in training and capacity building, we aim to support law enforcement professionals with the expertise they need to investigate digital crimes effectively and contribute to building a safer and more trusted digital environment for everyone,” said Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Public Affairs, at Kaspersky. 

For AFRIPOL, the programme builds upon its ongoing effort to build institutional capacity in response to an evolving threat landscape that increasingly targets critical infrastructure, financial systems and government networks. 

“Strengthening the capabilities of law enforcement agencies is essential to effectively address the growing complexity of cybercrime across the African continent. Initiatives such as this training programme play an important role in equipping officers with the practical skills needed to investigate cyber incidents, analyse digital evidence and respond to emerging threats. Cooperation with partners from the private cybersecurity sector, such as Kaspersky, helps law enforcement agencies stay informed about the latest threat trends and investigative approaches. We highly value this collaboration and the opportunity it creates to further develop the cybercrime response capabilities of AFRIPOL member countries,” said Dr Mohammed Benaired, Head, Training and Capacity Building Division at AFRIPOL. 

The partnership is formalised under a five-year agreement signed in 2024, which facilitates the sharing of threat intelligence on emerging cybercriminal activity and provides a framework for ongoing technical support and expertise in information security analysis.