Alhaji Sherrif Issah (right), Director of Information Security & Data Protection, lIPGH; Dr Edward Ansong (2nd from right), Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana, and George Babafemi (2nd from left), Fintech Consultant and Board Member, eTranzact Ghana Limited, making contributions during a panel discussion. Picture: CALEB VANDERPUYE

Ghana’s cybersecurity skills gap widening — CSA Director-General

Jemima Okang Addae Oct - 18 - 2024 , 09:57

The Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, has stated that the gap in Ghana’s cybersecurity ecosystem is widening.

He pointed out that there was a global shortage of 4.8 million cybersecurity professionals, and that gap was evident in Ghana, where many cybersecurity experts were leaving to work abroad.

Among the remaining professionals in Ghana, Dr Antwi-Boasiako highlighted that there was a particular shortage of skills in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, zero trust architecture, incident response and application security.

Dr Antwi-Boasiako shared these concerns during an event to mark this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month, on the theme, "Empowering the next generation of cyber defenders: Building a resilient digital future.”

The event was organised in partnership with Accra Technical University and the Cyber Security Authority (CSA).

Addressing the gap

To address the gap, Dr Antwi-Bosiako explained that the CSA was adopting a multi-faceted approach to tackle the talent and skills shortages in Ghana’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

He noted that it involved creating a pipeline of cybersecurity professionals through mentorship programmes and partnering with academic institutions to incorporate cybersecurity into their curricula to attract more young people into the field.

He also mentioned that the CSA had implemented a licensing and accreditation programme for cybersecurity professionals and service providers, which would help increase visibility in the workforce and identify areas requiring more attention, such as forensics.

Speaking on forensics and the role of academic institutions, he stated: "If you break down the numbers, you will find that one of the areas where skills are growing is forensics. So for an institution like the ATU, that is probably a hint where your efforts should be going when it comes to investigating the crimes we are listing as impacting our ecosystems.”

Dr Antwi-Boasiako added that the Authority would be signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with other countries to facilitate knowledge sharing and allow Ghanaian professionals to practise abroad without the need for additional licensing.

Threat

The Vice Chancellor of Accra Technical University (ATU), Professor Amevi Acakpovi, acknowledged that the country was facing a shortage of skilled cybersecurity experts.

Despite being recognised as a cybersecurity champion in West Africa, he said the country continued to experience significant cyber attacks and a rise in cybercrime.

Prof. Acakpovi observed that while technological advancements had created unprecedented opportunities, they had also introduced new cybersecurity challenges.

"The advancement of this technology has brought unprecedented opportunities for us, ,for growth and innovation, but they have also brought a lot of challenges, especially cyber attacks” he added.

He, therefore, emphasised the increasing need for strong data privacy and protection measures, especially with the growing use of digital platforms and services across Ghana.

Prof. Acakpovi expressed concern about the lack of compliance with and enforcement of existing data protection laws, stressing the importance of improving public awareness regarding privacy rights.