Marrakech – Kaspersky partnered with INTERPOL to protect the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from a range of digital threats targeting the tournament, its spectators, and Morocco as the host country. The cooperation was conducted under INTERPOL’s Project Stadia.
Threat intelligence shared by Kaspersky was used directly by Moroccan law enforcement to identify and mitigate cyber risks throughout the competition, which ran from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The collaboration reflects a broader pattern. Major sporting events consistently attract a surge in criminal cyber activity. Kaspersky had previously supported INTERPOL’s cybersecurity operations during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the 2025 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
For AFCON, Kaspersky’s Digital Footprint Intelligence team identified more than 2.1 million compromised credentials belonging to Moroccan users or linked to Moroccan digital resources. The data was found on the dark web and had been harvested by infostealers – malware designed to extract login details, financial information, and other sensitive data.
Hacktivist activity added another layer of concern. Kaspersky recorded a sharp spike in attacks targeting Morocco between September and December 2025. Roughly 300 messages reporting hacktivist operations against the country were published during 2025. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and website defacement were the primary methods used.
Fraudulent websites also posed a direct threat to fans. Kaspersky identified multiple scam platforms mimicking official AFCON ticket portals or offering fake prizes tied to match predictions. These sites were designed to siphon users’ personal data and payment information.
The threat landscape Kaspersky documented was not emerging in isolation. In October 2025, the company reported that Morocco had recorded more than 20.7 million attempted cyberattacks in the first half of the year alone – figures presented at the KNext event in Rabat, held with the support of Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition.
Kaspersky had also presented findings at GITEX Africa 2025 in Marrakech, ranking Morocco third on the continent for web-based threats, with 12.6 million attack attempts logged in 2024.
Kaspersky VP of Global Public Affairs Yuliya Shlychkova said the scale of major international events makes them attractive targets.
“Attackers exploit millions of fans through diverse fraudulent schemes,” she said. “Fostering collaboration between public and private entities is crucial to channel all efforts into combating cybercrime and creating a secure experience for the millions attending these global events.”
The company has maintained a formal cooperative relationship with INTERPOL across multiple high-profile events. Project Stadia, under which this collaboration took place, serves as the coordinating framework for bringing private cybersecurity firms and national law enforcement agencies together around major sporting competitions.
Morocco’s successful management of AFCON’s security architecture – both physical and digital – carries significance beyond the tournament. The country is set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, an event that will place even greater demands on its cyber defense infrastructure.
Kaspersky has operated in Morocco for 15 years, using the country as its base for serving the wider North African market.
Read also: Morocco Records 529 Security Actions During AFCON 2025
