Ghana to become cyber security hub in West Africa

The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has stated that Ghana is positioning itself as the cyber security hub in West Africa.

This, she said, follows some key policies the government has instituted to boost the country’s cyber security ecosystem.

She said the Ministry of Communication was collaborating with local and foreign partners to develop Ghana’s cyber security infrastructure.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful was speaking at the launch of the National Cyber Security awareness month 2018 and the launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Programme at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT in Accra Monday Morning.

The event was on the theme: “A safer digital Ghana.”

The National Cyber Security Awareness programme is intended to raise awareness on cyber crimes and cyber security among children, the public, businesses and government.

Additionally, the programme is also meant to encourage reporting of cyber crimes and cyber security incidents to facilitate knowledge and information sharing among all stakeholders as well as to promote a culture of cyber security among the youth and the general public to encourage essential cyber hygiene practices.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said as part of government’s effort to strengthen the country’s cyber security ecosystem, it has established the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) to oversee and coordinate the national cyber security programmes.

She explained that other interventions government has instituted concerning cyber security development included the development of the Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) ecosystem and also the yearly organization of the national cyber security awareness programmes.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said the initiative is expected to increase the understanding and awareness of cyber risks and to empower the public to live a responsible and safer digital life.

In a keynote address, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said government recognizes the importance digital ecosystem plays in the country’s development, hence the major initiatives the government has taken to digitise the country’s economy.

He said digital economy was not only useful to the government alone, but that of all individuals, agencies and organisation.

He said government would continue to invest in the country’s digital space to ensure that it becomes safer for all to use.

Dr Bawumia explained that many cyber crimes are being directed at the financial sectors, adding that such attacks when successful, could result in fatal loses.

He has, therefore, urged the public to be cautious with their use of the internet, stressing that no one is immune to cyber threats and that it was only when people recognizes cyber threats that they would be able to deal with such issues appropriately.

The National Cyber Security Advisor, Mr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, said Ghana’s cyber security is still at the formative stage of development and needed more efforts and investments in the area.