Representatives of the partners exchanging the agreement
Microsoft and the Attorney General Alliance (AGA), an organization committed to building capacity and exchanging knowledge with African governments, justice, and law enforcement agencies, and officials have launched a partnership to enhance cyber security in Africa.
The two organizations will collaborate with governments, justice, and law enforcement agencies and officials across Africa to train and share knowledge and experience with the aim of capacity building focusing on cybercrime and other related cross-border criminal activity like money laundering.
The partnership signing agreement took place in Accra, during the Commonwealth Secretariat Conference on Cyber Security in Africa.
AGA’s Executive Director Karen White, said, “with aligned missions to support capacity building initiatives in cybercrime investigation and prosecution in Africa, AGA is proud to partner with Microsoft. We are constantly seeking out meaningful partnerships as part of our commitment to continue expanding and improving our global training programs.”
“The increased use of cyberspace and access to the internet in Africa has brought its challenges to the law and justice sector. This is a timely partnership that supports an urgent need to build capacity to support our partners in the investigation and prosecution of cyberspace criminal activity,” said AGA’s Board Member Markus Green.
Expert projections on global cybercrime damages are US$6 trillion by the end of 2021, with a 15 percent growth rate per year reaching US$10.5 trillion by 2025.
“Organizations in Africa are increasingly transacting online, and e-commerce markets are expanding. Cybercrime presents a major setback to these strides and threatens to reverse the gains made by the rapidly growing uptake of technology.
We are indeed excited to launch our partnership with AGA to enhance the exchange of information, strategies, and training to prevent, regulate, investigate and prosecute cybercrime in Africa,” said Mark Ihimoyan, Microsoft’s Regional Director, Emerging Markets (Engineering).
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri