The National Information Technology Development Agency has issued a security alert over a new artificial intelligence-powered malware known as DeepLoad, warning that it is actively targeting Nigerian businesses.
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‎The warning was released on its X handle on Wednesday through the agency’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team(CERRT.NG).
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‎It warned that the cyber threat is actively targeting Nigerian government agencies, financial institutions, businesses, and individuals, describing the malware as a highly advanced malware strain designed to steal sensitive information while avoiding detection by traditional antivirus systems.
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‎According to the agency, DeepLoad  spreads through social engineering tactics, particularly fake website error prompts that trick users into running malicious commands.
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‎“Once executed, DeepLoad silently installs itself, harvests stored credentials and sensitive datua from major browsers, and leverages artificial intelligence to evade antivirus detection,” the agency said.
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‎NITDA also warned that DeepLoad has a persistence mechanism that makes it  difficult to remove, stressing that the malware can reactivate itself days after it appears to have been deleted.
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‎The agency described the threat as serious and already active, urging immediate protective measures.
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‎NITDA warned that individuals, businesses, and government institutions are all at risk, stressing that a successful infection could give attackers access to bank accounts, mobile money services, payment cards, passwords, and sensitive personal documents.
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‎The agency also raised concerns about identity theft, saying stolen information could be used to impersonate victims for financial gain.
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‎For organisations, NITDA said infections could lead to major operational disruptions, including system shutdowns and recovery processes. It also warned that breaches in government systems could compromise classified data and national security infrastructure.
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‎To prevent infection, NITDA advised users not to copy or execute commands from unknown websites, stressing that legitimate software providers do not require such actions.
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‎It also warned against installing software from unverified USB drives and recommended scanning all external storage devices before use.
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‎Other key recommendations included “Enabling two-factor authentication on important accounts, avoiding storing banking passwords in browsers, reviewing browser extensions for suspicious activity, blocking known malicious domains at the firewall and DNS level, and enabling advanced logging tools on Windows systems
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‎Organisations were also urged to educate staff, monitor systems for hidden persistence mechanisms, and immediately isolate any suspected infected devices.
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‎NITDA further warned that that any confirmed or suspected incident should be reported immediately, with affected systems disconnected from the internet, passwords reset from secure devices, and internal response teams activated within hours to contain the threat.