Category: Governments

Are we paying attention to the new challenges of the digital world?

January 22, 2018 (updated September 17, 2022) Published by

Jan 22, 2018, by Ambassador Omar Arouna–When Estonia started building its information society about two decades ago, there was no digital data being collected about its citizens. The general population did not have the internet or even devices with which to use it. Sound familiar?

It took great courage to invest in IT solutions and take the information technology route. WHAT ARE WE DOING IN AFRICA to learn about the best e-solutions that have led to Estonia becoming one of the world’s most developed digital societies.

Our visit to President Kersti Kaljulaid of Estonia in January 2018 and the briefing at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence was an eye opener and Africa needs to take note from that playbook to meet the new challenges of the digital world.

USAFCG Managing Partner, Ambassador Omar Arouna in Estonia in January 2018.

Financial Sector

Private sector businesses and organizations including their consumer base have become extremely vulnerable online. Digital economies are taking off throughout all the regions of Africa. Cybercrime has emerged and already taken advantage of mobile banking, online banking and financial services delivered regionally. Local support for cybersecurity across the region needs to be strengthened, and financial institutions in the region are demanding training, servicing, and consulting services in cybersecurity.

Public and Private Sectors

Government institutions and agencies in Africa have adopted more technology into their operations and services. The lack of adequate knowledge and expertise to deal with security threats is apparent. Both government and private sectors need to invest in sustained training and education informing and providing tools to consumer base and the population at large of the potential threats to their use of the internet and cyber space.

They also need to build frameworks and guidance on how to reach these goals. The private sector seems to take the lead in tackling and preparing to respond to cyber security threats, but much focused and coordinated action with governments and regulatory bodies remains to be taken to the next levels. Both public and private sectors in Africa are still reactionary for the majority of cases, mainly investing in  after falling victim to cyber-crimes.

Energy Sector

The energy sector is increasingly becoming a target for cyber threats, and therefore vulnerable to potential cyber attacks. Risks in Africa are growing due to an ever increasing in populations and demand for access and connections to power grids and utilities. Foreign direct investment in Africa requires stability and security in power supply and infrastructure, which needs to be upgraded with new technologies.

Cyber attacks compromise strategic targets in the power and energy sectors. These threats and attacks have the ability to cause significant disruption to power and utility supplies, which are connected to vulnerable networks. It is important for energy companies to assess and participate in cybersecurity training and information sharing, both among private sector entities and between the private sector and the government.

Governments in Africa are in the process of developing national cybersecurity legislation establishing standards and requirements to enhance the security of critical power and energy infrastructure. It is essential that organisations operating critical power and energy infrastructure integrate cybersecurity training in their operations, technology, business process and human resources.

Global Cybersecurity Index 2017

July 20, 2017 (updated September 17, 2022) Published by

Jul 20, 2017–The Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is a survey that measures the commitment of Member States to cybersecurity in order to raise awareness.

The second edition of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2017, released by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), an agency of the United Nations, measured the commitment of ITU Member States to cybersecurity and highlighted a number of illustrative practices from around the world.

The GCI revolves around the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) and its five pillars (legal, technical, organizational, capacity building and cooperation).

The data collected shows that developing countries lack well-trained cybersecurity experts as well as a thorough appreciation and the necessary education on cybersecurity issues for law enforcement, and continued challenges in the judiciary and legislative branches.

According to the report, the 2017 publication of the GCI continues to show the commitment to cybersecurity of countries around the world. The overall picture shows improvement and strengthening of all five elements of the cybersecurity agenda in various countries in all regions. However, there is space for further improvement in cooperation at all levels, capacity building and organizational measures. As well, the gap in the level of cybersecurity engagement between different regions is still present and visible. The level of development of the different pillars varies from country to country in the regions, and while commitment in Europe remains very high in the legal and technical fields in particular, the challenging situation in the Africa and Americas regions shows the need for continued engagement and support.

In addition to providing the GCI score, this report also provides a set of illustrative practices that give insight into the achievements of certain countries.

Source: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/GCI.aspx

African Union Cybersecurity Profile: Seeking a Common Continental Policy

September 23, 2016 (updated September 17, 2022) Published by

Sep 23, 2016–Africa is now home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies–the terms “Africa rising” and “lions on the move” have both been used in recent years to capture the positive economic outlook for the continent. In tandem with this new economic boom, countries in the African Union (AU) have experienced explosive growth in the use of technology and the spread of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure over the past decade and a half. About 300 million users have been brought online since 2000 due to the liberalization of telecommunications markets across African countries and the increasingly widespread availability of mobile technologies. For Africa, the technology age is booming– and shows few signs of slowing. The rapid turnaround from being a continent essentially offline in 2000, with only 4.5 million Internet users, to this level of connectivity has left African leaders scrambling to implement adequate cybersecurity policies and regulations.

In spite of the breathtaking growth of ICT use, the development of national cybersecurity legislation has been relatively stagnant in the region. Mauritius, which has legislation addressing cybercrime, e-commerce, data protection, and privacy as well as an established Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), remains a distant outlier on the continent. Countries such as Chad, Guinea-Bissau, and Gabon, which have minimal-to-no legislation addressing cyber issues, are much more typical. The AU faces the challenge of developing a common continental cybersecurity policy, which requires not just the harmonization of legislation across several economic regions but also encouraging national policy development in a majority of member states. Attaining this level of political cohesiveness–in a regional organization that consistently faces criticism of ineffectiveness–is a steep hurdle to overcome.

Africa is experiencing a unique state of vulnerability due to the absence of national legislation and international cooperation available to handle growing cyber threats. Despite this very real challenge, cybersecurity is inherently intertwined with more general trade and economic development in Africa, creating space for cooperation and consensus. The growing global recognition of the necessity for ICT and cybersecurity policies has been intertwined with AU economic policy since the early 2000s. Additionally, partnerships with the European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) that have been tied to broad regional economic development have been integral to driving both regional and national cybersecurity initiatives. If it strengthens these partnerships, the African continent has real potential to create a robust and secure cybersecurity environment.

Read more from the author of this article: Skye Terebey

Source: https://jsis.washington.edu/news/african-union-cybersecurity-profile-seeking-common-continental-policy/ The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.

USAFCG is a collaborative organization designed to foster the development and implementation of cybersecurity strategies and initiatives in the public and private sectors taking into account scientific, technological, economic and financial, political, and sociocultural dimensions of the “whole of society" in Africa.

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