• Microsoft has launched the African Regional Cybersecurity (ARC) Initiative, starting in Kenya.

• The program includes cyber risk management, simulations, and public-private cooperation.

• Kenya recorded 860 million cyberattack attempts in 2023, highlighting urgent security needs.

Microsoft has launched a new cybersecurity initiative in Africa aimed at boosting digital resilience and collaborative defense across the continent. Known as the African Regional Cybersecurity (ARC) Initiative, the program begins in Kenya, where it was officially inaugurated on Thursday, May 15, in Nairobi. The launch was attended by government officials, private sector representatives, and members of Kenya’s National Cybersecurity Coordination Committee (NC4).

The ARC Initiative focuses on enhancing Kenya’s cyber readiness through incident simulation exercises, development of a cyber risk management toolkit, and sustained dialogue among public and private stakeholders. These actions are intended to define national cybersecurity priorities and strengthen preparedness against increasingly sophisticated threats.

This initiative supports the goals of the Accra Call, introduced in 2023 during the Global Cyber Capacity Building Conference (GC3B), which advocates for international cooperation to protect digitally advancing countries in the Global South. Kenya’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem has positioned it as a regional testing ground for scalable cybersecurity models.

The urgency of Microsoft’s intervention is underscored by rising threat levels. In 2023, Kenya faced more than 860 million cyberattack attempts, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya. In 2024 alone, Kaspersky estimates nearly 20 million targeted attacks, many of which struck critical infrastructure including government services and telecom operators, leading to breaches of sensitive data.

Microsoft’s longstanding partnership with the CyberPeace Institute to protect civil society is being expanded through ARC to include governmental institutions. The company’s objective is to equip nations with the tools and frameworks needed to mitigate cyber threats while fostering a cooperative cybersecurity ecosystem. If successful in Kenya, the ARC Initiative may be replicated across other countries in the Southern hemisphere.