Cordell Robinson
Image: Supplied
In a continent on the cusp of a digital revolution, an alarming reality is unfolding: cybercrime now accounts for over 30% of all reported crimes in Western and Eastern Africa. From phishing and ransomware to business email compromise and digital extortion, threats are rising faster than defenses can be built.
For Cordell Robinson, cybersecurity expert, U.S. Navy veteran, and CEO of Brownstone Consulting Firm (BCF), the message is clear: Africa’s economic future depends on its digital security.
“There’s a wave of opportunity happening in Africa with new infrastructure, new businesses, and new tech adoption. But without cybersecurity awareness and regulation, it’s like building skyscrapers on sand,” Robinson said.
Africa’s cybersecurity market is projected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2020 to $3.7 billion by the end of 2025. But even as the market grows, up to 90% of businesses on the continent still operate without cybersecurity protocols, and a critical skills shortage persists. In Q2 2024 alone, cyberattacks across the continent spiked by 37% year over year, making Africa one of the fastest-growing cybercrime regions globally.
At the root of the crisis is a lack of foundational education. Many businesses and institutions aren’t equipped with even the most basic safeguards, such as secure passwords, access controls, or proper email authentication protocols.
“The baseline is education,” says Robinson. “Even simple things: knowing how to protect your password, understanding phishing emails, securing devices, those basics can drastically reduce a company’s risk profile.”
This knowledge gap is precisely why Robinson has placed education at the center of both his consulting work and his philanthropic mission. Through the Shaping Futures Foundation, based in Arusha, Tanzania, he’s already funding initiatives to train young people in digital literacy and cybersecurity fundamentals.
But education alone isn’t enough.
To help Africa secure its digital future, Robinson and Brownstone Consulting are expanding operations across the continent. Their approach blends hands-on guidance for companies, national-level regulatory support, and local talent development.
“My strategy is to provide organizations with resources, not just to patch problems, but to help them learn how cybersecurity works, what their vulnerabilities are, and how to build lasting defenses,” Robinson explains.
BCF will assist African governments and enterprises in creating customized cybersecurity regulatory frameworks, modeled in part on U.S. standards like the NIST framework, but adapted to each country’s legal, cultural, and economic context.
“It’s not about copy-pasting regulations from the US or Europe. It’s about retrofitting the best practices into something functional and realistic for local environments. Every country, every company will need a tailored approach,” he adds.
While systemic change takes time, Robinson says companies can take immediate action to protect themselves, such as training staff on recognizing phishing emails and social engineering attacks, using two-factor authentication and password managers, and backing up data regularly and ensuring secure access policies. Furthermore, installing updates and patches across all systems would keep the corporations safe in the long run. “Create an incident response plan: even a simple one can make a difference,” Robinson emphasizes.
Interpol’s 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment has already warned that ‘no single country can face these challenges alone,’ calling for urgent regional and international cooperation to confront rising AI-driven fraud and digital threats.
Robinson echoes that urgency. He is actively seeking strategic partnerships with organizations aligned in purpose, those willing to invest in awareness campaigns, build local capacity, and contribute to a continent-wide effort to secure Africa’s digital transformation.
“Technology is already driving economies around the world. It’s going to drive them forever. But without security, that growth will be fragile,” Robinson states. “This is the moment to act. And we can’t do it alone.”
As BCF continues to build out its presence in African nations, Robinson is urging like-minded companies, institutions, and governments to join forces. “We’re ready to collaborate with tech firms, universities, governments, nonprofits, anyone serious about strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure in Africa. If we do this together, the impact could be enormous,” he said.
For Robinson, this is a deep commitment to help the continent leap forward securely, confidently, and sustainably into the digital age.