At its recent annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) shared insights about the new OkoBot campaign targeting cryptocurrency users.

The new sophisticated framework employs TookPS to exfiltrate seed phrases and uses a new OkoSpyware module to monitor Chromium-based browsers and deploy various malware strains, including the Rilide stealer.

It has already targeted hundreds of victims across over 25 countries, with the highest number of affected end users recorded in Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico and Turkiye. According to Kaspersky experts, the threat remains active and primarily poses a risk to cryptocurrency users.

In January 2026, experts from the Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT)  identified multiple attacks involving a previously unknown malware capable of capturing the contents of cryptocurrency wallet windows. Dubbed Okobot, the new sophisticated malware framework comprises more than 20 malicious payloads and implants designed to perform a wide range of functions, including collecting local files, executing remote commands, downloading arbitrary browser extensions, stealing cryptocurrency wallets, harvesting seed phrases and credentials, recording video and carrying out other malicious activities.

One of the new implants used in the campaign is a loader that modifies browser memory to load and hide malicious extensions. OkoBot also includes a new OkoSpyware module, which captures keystrokes and the video stream of a target application’s window.

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Currently available information does not allow the campaign to be attributed to any known crimeware actor with high confidence. However, the techniques and infostealer involved are widely used by Russian-speaking threat actors, and technical analysis has also revealed code artifacts in Russian.

The initial infection typically occurs through two main vectors: ClickFix attacks, in which threat actors use social engineering to trick users into running malicious code, and malware distributed via GitHub under the guise of legitimate software. During the investigation, researchers identified one such case involving a fake installer for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), a widely used Microsoft database management tool.

The malicious framework includes SeedHunter, a malware component that monitors active system processes and injects an implant into Trezor Suite, Ledger Wallet, and Ledger Live, – official applications used to manage cryptocurrency assets. When it detects a connected Trezor or Ledger hardware wallet, it triggers the hooked functions to display a hard-coded phishing page aimed at stealing the user’s seed phrase, using a distinct layout for each wallet type.

“The OkoBot campaign has been active for more than a year and remained ongoing as of July 2026. The observed infection vectors strongly suggest that developers are among its primary targets. Of particular concern is the malware’s continued evolution, which indicates that the framework is being actively maintained. As distribution efforts persist, the campaign has the potential to reach more users and expand into additional countries in the near term,” says Dmitry Galov, Head of the Russia and CIS unit at Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team.

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PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading digital financial services companies, is considering a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after attaining a valuation of more than one billion dollars, according to a Bloomberg report.

PalmPay

The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, said the fintech company was also seeking to raise between 150 million dollars and 200 million dollars in fresh funding ahead of a potential Initial Public Offering (IPO).

According to the sources, the additional capital is expected to support PalmPay’s next phase of expansion across Africa and selected Asian markets.

If completed, the IPO would rank among the most significant public market debuts by an African fintech company and could encourage other technology firms on the continent to explore listings beyond the traditional financial centres of London and New York.

Founded in 2019, PalmPay has emerged as one of Africa’s fastest-growing consumer fintech platforms, providing digital payments, money transfers, savings, lending and merchant payment solutions.

The company has established its strongest market presence in Nigeria while expanding operations into Ghana, Tanzania and Bangladesh as part of its international growth strategy.

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PalmPay says it currently serves more than 35 million registered users and supports over one million businesses and merchants, processing millions of transactions daily.

Its rapid growth has positioned it among Africa’s leading fintech firms, alongside companies such as Flutterwave, Moniepoint, OPay, Wave and Onafriq.

Unlike many technology startups that have prioritised rapid customer acquisition over profitability, PalmPay reportedly achieved profitability in 2025, a development analysts say could enhance investor confidence as the company prepares for another fundraising round and an eventual stock market listing.

The report noted that Hong Kong could offer strategic advantages for PalmPay due to its strong commercial ties with Asian investors and the company’s growing presence in emerging Asian markets.

PalmPay’s early investors include Transsion Holdings, the maker of the Tecno, Infinix and itel smartphone brands, as well as investors linked to NetEase and MediaTek.

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Industry analysts believe these long-standing relationships could make Hong Kong a natural destination for PalmPay’s public listing while broadening access to investors already familiar with its business model.

The company’s IPO plans come as venture capital investment in African startups has slowed considerably since the record funding years of 2021 and 2022, prompting many technology firms to focus on profitability, stronger balance sheets and sustainable long-term growth.

Against that backdrop, PalmPay’s proposed fundraising and listing are expected to serve as an important test of international investor appetite for profitable African fintech companies.

The company’s valuation also underscores the resilience of Africa’s digital payments sector, driven by rising smartphone adoption, expanding internet access and increasing demand for cashless transactions across the continent.

Although PalmPay has yet to make a final decision on either the fundraising or the IPO timetable, the reported preparations indicate that the company is positioning itself for its next phase of growth.

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Industry observers say a successful Hong Kong listing could provide fresh momentum for Africa’s technology sector and create an alternative pathway for high-growth startups seeking access to global capital markets.

At the recent Cyber Security Weekend – META event, Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) experts presented the latest findings on the cyberespionage threat landscape across the Middle East, Turkiye, and Africa (META) region.

While most cyberthreat categories declined over the past year, cyberespionage continued to intensify in the region. Thus, throughout the past year, spyware attacks increased by 40% in Africa, while password stealer attacks grew by 31% in Africa.

The cyberespionage landscape across the META region continues to be driven by geopolitical tensions, regional conflicts and ideological motivations. As intelligence gathering becomes increasingly important for both Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors and cybercriminals, organisations and individuals alike are facing a growing number of attacks designed to steal sensitive information and establish long-term access to compromised systems.

If we specifically look at cyberthreats aimed at businesses, organisations in Africa experienced a sharp increase in espionage-related threats over the past year. Spyware detections rose by 16% in Africa, password stealer attacks by 51%, and backdoor detections by 23%.

These types of malware are commonly used to infiltrate corporate environments, steal confidential information, establish persistent access, and facilitate subsequent stages of targeted attacks.

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As geopolitics remains a key driver for APT attacks, such actors remain among the most significant cyber risks in the region for businesses and governmental entities.

To maximise persistence and evade detection, they continuously refine their toolsets, deploying increasingly sophisticated malware capable of maintaining long-term access to compromised systems while collecting valuable intelligence.

In 2026, Kaspersky GReAT is tracking more than 20 APT groups actively targeting organisations across the META region.

Recent research by Kaspersky GReAT found the MuddyWater APT group targeting organisations across the Middle East during the Gulf conflict using previously unseen malware chains.

The campaign employed custom loaders, injectors, previously unknown remote access trojans (RATs), credential stealers, and a modular data exfiltration framework, highlighting the group’s rapid development of new tools to steal sensitive information and evade detection.

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The increase in espionage activity is not limited to organisations. Individuals are also increasingly targeted. Over the past year, attacks involving password stealers increased by 32% in Africa. The stolen information can subsequently be used to hijack accounts, conduct follow-on attacks, extort victims, or sold to third parties on underground marketplaces.

Another rapidly growing trend is mobile cyberespionage. As smartphones increasingly store personal communications, corporate information, authentication credentials, and financial data, they have become high-value targets for attackers.

“Smartphones have become one of the most valuable sources of intelligence for cyberespionage actors. While Android devices continue to be widely targeted by mobile spyware, we are also observing an increasing number of reports of sophisticated campaigns targeting iOS, as demonstrated by Operation Triangulation and, more recently, Coruna attacks.

“These findings show that advanced mobile threats continue to evolve across both major platforms, making mobile security an essential part of cyber resilience for both organisations and individuals,” said Dmitry Galov, Head of Global Research and Analysis Team, Russia and CIS, at Kaspersky.

As cyberespionage threats continue to evolve, Kaspersky recommends that organisations adopt a layered cybersecurity approach, combining continuous vulnerability management, timely patching, employee awareness training, threat intelligence, and advanced security solutions such as Kaspersky Next, which help detect sophisticated targeted attacks and protect organisations from long-term compromise.

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