Yesh Surjoodeen, Managing Director for Southern and Central Africa at HP, has raised alarm over the increasing threat of AI-powered cyberattacks targeting Nigerian businesses. In a recent opinion piece, Surjoodeen urged companies to adopt smarter device security measures and cultivate a strong culture of cybersecurity awareness to stay ahead of rapidly evolving threats.
With Nigeria ranked the 13th most vulnerable country to cyberattacks globally, business leaders are being urged to match the pace of cybercriminals leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for increasingly sophisticated attacks.
“The race is on between Nigerian hackers using AI to attack and Nigerian businesses using AI to defend,” he stated, referencing new insights from Deloitte research.
Surjoodeen highlighted how cybercriminals are now leveraging artificial intelligence to write malicious scripts, identify vulnerabilities, and develop new forms of malware, often outpacing traditional defence mechanisms. One of the most concerning developments, he noted, is AI-assisted phishing, which can generate highly convincing, personalised messages that are difficult to detect.
According to findings from HP Wolf Security, many cybersecurity failures begin during the procurement process. “Thirty-four percent of organisations that audited their suppliers found at least one hardware provider failed a cybersecurity audit in the last five years,” Surjoodeen revealed. Alarmingly, nearly 18 percent of those failures resulted in contract termination.
He also pointed to overlooked vulnerabilities, such as weak BIOS security. “Fifty-three percent of IT and security decision-makers admit to using weak or shared BIOS passwords, with many failing to update them throughout the device lifecycle,” he said.
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Surjoodeen further emphasised the need for responsible and secure decommissioning of devices. “Destroying hardware that could be securely repurposed not only increases e-waste but also undermines sustainability efforts,” he warned. He advocated for secure decommissioning solutions that not only cut costs but also align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
While AI has become a potent tool for bad actors, Surjoodeen underscored its potential as a powerful defence mechanism. He cited HP’s Sure Click Enterprise, which uses machine learning to detect and neutralise threats—including zero-day exploits—in real time.
“Cybercriminals will continue to harness AI for malicious purposes,” he said. “That’s why business leaders must respond with equal sophistication—by investing in cutting-edge technologies and building strong security cultures.”
