Ghanaian, Mozambiquan and Rwandan government officials showing documents from an MoU signed
ACTING DIRECTOR-General of the Cybersecurity Authority (CSA), Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, has indicated that over 5,000 businesses have been saved from cybersecurity attacks in the third quarter of this year.
The cybersecurity attacks came in the form of online fraud, unauthorised access to protected systems, online blackmail, online impersonation, and the publication of nonconsensual intimate images.
Speaking at the official launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month in Accra, Dr. Antwi-Boasiako further said since the cybersecurity incident reporting points were launched in 2019, the facility has been instrumental in the fight against cybercrime.
He indicated that as at the end of the third quarter, a total of 9,769 contacts were received through the various points of contact of which 431 were recorded as actual cybersecurity incidents and 5,389 as direct advisories.
This meant that over 5,000 incidents that could have caused various degrees of losses to victims were prevented, and several amounts of money were saved, he explained.
“Most of these attacks are perpetrated through social media using social engineering and phishing techniques. Lack of awareness of cyber risks as well as inadequate cybersecurity control measures are the main vulnerabilities being exploited by perpetrators,” he said.
Dr. Antwi-Boasiako further implored the various stakeholders to invest in cybersecurity. “It is my expectation that organisations should dedicate a minimum of between 15% to 25% of their ICT budget to cybersecurity if we should make any meaningful and sustainable progress in addressing our cybersecurity challenges.”.
MoU
The Cybersecurity Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with sister cybersecurity institutions from Mozambique and Rwanda to improve the cybersecurity profile.
In a speech read on behalf of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to improving collaboration not only at the domestic level but internationally in the fight against cybercrimes.
Several African countries have shown a commitment to work with Ghana as part of efforts to improve cybersecurity in their respective countries and on the continent at large. The country has had teams from Sierra Leone, the Gambia, and Niger amongst others, visiting to learn from the modest but significant achievements in cybersecurity.
“I commend all international and local partners who have been instrumental in Ghana’s cybersecurity development so far. Our modest strides in cybersecurity development have been acknowledged and Ghana is increasingly being noted as a hub for training and capacity building for our sub region by the European Commission, World Bank, and ECOWAS.
“We believe that we will go far when we walk together and are committed to walking with you all. We believe that international cooperation is an indispensable tool in countering cybercrime,” he added.
The theme for this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month, ‘‘Regulating Cybersecurity: A Public-Private Sector Collaborative Approach.’’
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke