MTN CEO urges businesses to stay alert as cybercriminals adopt AI-powered methods for smarter, targeted attacks

Stephen Blewett, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana, has made it clear that more and more cybercriminals are now using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to carry out advanced forms of attack. This has make it very important for people and groups to stay vigilant.

During the time he was speaking at the MTN Cybersecurity chat held this November 2025, Mr. Blewett emphasised that now, the AI-powered tricky messages which is meant to steal your info are looks more real, convincing and targeted. He again said that this has make it very difficult to different between emails which are real from the fake ones. He added that this AI-powered social engineering tricks can make people give out their private information without even knowing or performing certain actions

He stated that “For example, AI is a positive development, but like any technology, it can be used for both positive and negative purposes. We see how the cybercriminals are using AI, and that’s why companies and organisations need to be very careful because if you don’t catch up with new technologies you will be in danger. That’s the danger of not being cyber-aware.”

For you to stay vigilant, Mr. Blewett encouraged internet users that, they should keep up-to-date with the new smart cyber threats and online tricks.  Mr. Blewett also said the internet users should make good use of smart AI tools which will help them stay safe online.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Ghana made it clear that “The problem we are all facing is that technology is changing quickly, and it’s easy to stop learning about it until it becomes a problem. You might think, I’ll get to understand that tomorrow, but that’s exactly what cybercriminals are counting on. My warning is don’t wait until tomorrow. Understand what’s happening today, because if you don’t, you’re exposing yourself – and your company – to risks.”

Gerald Awadzie, Senior Manager at Cybersecurity Authority, drew to attention about the importance of creating collaboration and awareness in the protect ourselves from internet attackers.

He stated that they are working on building a stable support system, helping the country to do things better on it own and bringing industry stakeholders together to  encourage people to help others more in the African region.

He mentioned that “The authority is working with various organisations to raise awareness about cybersecurity and the importance of complying with security measures.”

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