THE National Information Technology Development Agency has issued a warning about a new artificial intelligence-driven malware known as DeepLoad, revealing that it is actively targeting government institutions, businesses, financial organisations, and individuals across Nigeria.
The agency gave the warning yesterday through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team via its X platform, amid growing concerns over the increase in cyberattacks affecting Nigerian organisations.
According to NITDA, DeepLoad is a sophisticated malware designed to steal sensitive information while avoiding detection by conventional antivirus software.
The agency explained that the malware spreads through social engineering methods, particularly fake website error messages that deceive users into executing harmful commands.
NITDA stated that once activated, the malware secretly installs itself on devices, extracts stored credentials and confidential data from major web browsers, and uses artificial intelligence techniques to remain undetected.
The agency further warned that DeepLoad contains a hidden persistence feature that allows it to reactivate even after users believe it has been removed.
According to the advisory, the malware can restore itself up to three days after apparent deletion through a concealed WMI-based mechanism.
Describing the threat as severe and already active within Nigerian networks, NITDA urged organisations and individuals to immediately adopt preventive security measures to reduce exposure to attacks.
The agency cautioned that a successful breach could expose bank accounts, mobile money platforms, payment card details, passwords, and confidential personal documents.
It also warned that stolen information could be exploited for identity theft and other fraudulent activities.
For businesses and government institutions, NITDA said infections could disrupt operations, trigger system shutdowns, and compromise sensitive or classified information tied to national security infrastructure.
To reduce the risk of infection, the agency advised Nigerians not to execute commands from unknown websites and stressed that legitimate software providers do not request such actions. It also discouraged the use of unverified USB devices and recommended scanning external storage systems before use.
Among other recommendations, NITDA encouraged users to enable two-factor authentication on critical accounts, avoid saving banking passwords in browsers, regularly inspect browser extensions for suspicious activity, block malicious domains at firewall and DNS levels, and activate advanced logging tools on Windows devices.
The agency also urged organisations to educate employees on cyber threats, closely monitor systems for hidden malware persistence mechanisms, and isolate any suspected infected devices immediately.
NITDA concluded by advising that any suspected or confirmed cyber incident should be reported promptly, while affected systems should be disconnected from the internet and passwords reset using secure devices to prevent further compromise.
