Ghana launches cybersecurity policy amid cyberattack threats

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October 4, 2024
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2 min read
cyberattack
  • Ghana’s Communications and Digitalisation Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has launched the country’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) to address increasing cybersecurity threats. 
  • The policy, developed according to the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cybersecurity Agenda guidelines, aims to build a robust digital ecosystem, secure digital infrastructure, develop national capacity, deter cybercrime, and strengthen cooperation.
  • This move follows a recent warning by the Africa Centre for Digital Transformation (ACDT) of potential cyber threats to Ghana’s December 7 elections, urging stakeholders to take immediate action to safeguard the electoral process.

The ACDT recommended strengthening the cybersecurity infrastructure, involving regular security audits and penetration testing.

The minister emphasised that the threats posed by cyber attacks have necessitated the development of a national strategy to prevent potential attacks.

“Our world today has changed, with digitalisation presenting both opportunities and risks to individuals, businesses, societies, and nations.

“The growing dependency on networks and digital systems for socio-economic development has attracted the attention of malicious actors, who seek to undermine the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of these infrastructures,” Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful shared.

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The Ghana Cyber Security Authority (CSA) will oversee the implementation of the policy, engaging both the public and private sectors in the process.

In May 2023, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) launched the Financial Industry Command Security Operations Centre (FICSOC) to strengthen the nation's cyber resilience. FICSOC serves as a platform for sharing threat intelligence and coordinating cybersecurity efforts across the banking and financial sectors.

Meanwhile, in the first half of the year, cyber fraud activities reportedly led to direct financial losses of $4.32 million (GH¢49.5 million) in Ghana, representing only a fraction of the cases brought to the attention of government organisations. 

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Subsequently, the country was ranked ninth among ten African countries with the most data breaches in 2024, maintaining 92nd globally. Ghana recorded a 997% breach increase in the first quarter of 2024 over the fourth quarter of 2023 resulting in a total of 1.2 million breaches. 

As part of efforts to address this challenge, Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) granted licences and accreditation to 51 industry players including, eight Cybersecurity Service Providers (CSPs), eight Cybersecurity Establishments (CEs), and 35 Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs).

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The government had banned unlicenced industry players from operating, and by October 2023, the authority received 907 licensing and accreditation applications since initiating the process in March.

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