Cybersecurity experts have warned smartphone users across Africa to strengthen their digital security practices as mobile devices increasingly become the primary gateway to the internet and repositories for sensitive personal and professional information.

The warning follows a survey by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, which found that almost 60% of respondents across the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META) now regard smartphones as their main devices for accessing the internet, with computers increasingly becoming secondary tools.

The survey, conducted by Kaspersky’s Market Research Centre in March 2026, covered 7,200 respondents across 18 countries. Younger users are driving the shift, with 67% of respondents aged 18 to 28 identifying smartphones as their primary internet-connected device, according to the survey.

For Nigeria, where smartphones are increasingly central to banking, social media, work and access to government services, the trend creates a larger security surface for users and organisations. Nigeria had 157 million internet users as of July 2026, with mobile devices serving as a major channel for accessing online services.

Smartphones hold growing volumes of sensitive data

Kaspersky said the amount and variety of sensitive information stored on smartphones has expanded significantly as users increasingly rely on the devices for both personal and professional activities.

Personal photographs and videos remain the most common categories of data stored on smartphones, with nearly two-thirds of users keeping visual memories on their devices.

Other commonly stored information includes contact details, reported by 51% of respondents; text messages and chat histories, 45%; and personal documents such as identity cards and passports, 43%.

The survey also highlighted the growing overlap between users’ personal and professional digital lives.

According to Kaspersky, 37% of respondents store work emails on their smartphones, while 22% keep calendars and 17% store credentials for corporate systems on their devices.

Financial information and login details were found on 40% of smartphones, while newer categories of digital information are also becoming part of users’ mobile data footprints.

The survey found that 30% of respondents store AI chat histories on their devices, while 26% keep gaming account information.

The findings suggest that a compromised smartphone could provide access to multiple categories of personal, financial and professional information rather than a single type of data.

“Now our smartphones serve as full-featured assistants that touch every aspect of our lives. The data we entrust to them goes far beyond photos, phone numbers or text messages,” said Anton Kivva, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.

“Consequently, the main question is no longer what we store, but how we protect it, requiring security to become as integral to the device as the data it carries,” he said.

Nigeria faces growing mobile security threats

The increasing dependence on smartphones comes as Nigerian cybersecurity authorities continue to warn about threats targeting mobile devices and online users.

Nigeria’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team, ngCERT, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have issued warnings about malware threats affecting Android devices, including malicious software capable of causing data loss, financial fraud and device compromise.

ngCERT has also warned of cyber incidents affecting organisations in Nigeria, including phishing, ransomware, business email compromise and data breaches.

The risks are particularly significant as smartphones become gateways to financial services, education, employment and government platforms.

A compromised device could expose users to identity theft, financial losses, account takeover and privacy breaches, depending on the information and applications accessible from the device.

Kaspersky blocks millions of mobile attacks

Kaspersky said its security systems prevented more than 2.67 million attacks involving malware, adware and unwanted mobile software globally during the first quarter of 2026.

The company also reported discovering more than 306,000 malicious mobile application installation packages during the period.

The figures underline the scale of threats targeting mobile users as smartphones become more deeply integrated into everyday activities.

Kaspersky said many users nevertheless continue to overlook basic security measures, including regular backups, device protection and safe browsing practices.

It advised users not to keep important information in only one location and recommended maintaining backups of sensitive files, including identity documents and financial information.

The cybersecurity company also recommended using security tools capable of detecting malicious applications and phishing attempts.

Other measures include enabling automatic software updates, using screen locks and activating device-tracking features to help locate or secure lost smartphones.

Kivva urged users to regularly assess how they would respond if their devices were lost, stolen or compromised.

“When was the last time I backed up my photos or notes? What’s my plan if my phone goes missing? Do I verify links before I click them?” he said.

Mobile security becomes a digital hygiene priority

For many Nigerians, smartphones now provide a single access point to financial services, communication platforms, education, employment opportunities and government services.

That concentration of personal and professional activity makes mobile security an increasingly important part of digital hygiene.

Kaspersky’s findings point to a shift in the role of smartphones from communication and entertainment devices to repositories for identity, financial, professional and increasingly AI-generated information.

As smartphone adoption and mobile internet use continue to expand, users are being urged to strengthen basic protections, including unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, timely software updates, secure screen locks, regular backups and greater caution when opening links or installing applications.

The broader message from cybersecurity experts is that smartphones now require the same level of security attention traditionally given to computers because a single compromised device can provide access to multiple aspects of a user’s digital life.