sector Cybersecurity
Technology has provided new ways for government agencies and public sector organizations to work, interact with citizens and improve overall operations. This growing reliance on digital technology for their daily operation requires a robust and resilient cyberspace more than ever. The stakes are sky-high, to stay a step ahead of cyber threats, agencies need to understand risks, be innovative, prioritize assets, and boost cybersecurity capabilities.
Cyber Security Trends for Governments in Africa
As African countries increase access to broadband Internet, issues relating to cybercrime are emerging and there is a need to ensure the protection of the entities.
Cybercriminals have long considered Africa as opportune to commit their criminal acts and government agencies are among their prized targets. Statistics from various sources indicate that Africa is very prone to cyber-related threats due to the high number of domains coupled with very weak network security. In this context, there is a necessity to understand that cyber risks have become an emergency amplifying the traditional risks and there is a necessity to act to tackle it. In addition to this, cybersecurity isn’t only a challenge for the governments, it’s a big obstacle to long-desired digital transformation.
Actions and recommendations to secure the digital environment
A secure and safe digital environment is a necessary condition for reaping the benefits of the digital transformation of Africa and supporting its positive impact on human and economic development. These threats can only be fully addressed by developing a strong culture of cybersecurity, creating robust response capabilities, enacting appropriate and effective national policies, and by consider or strengthen actions, including :
- Strongly protect relevant Institutions and the integrity of critical National Infrastructures against the threats and attacks capable of endangering their survival and efficacy.
- Educate and train users through actions and initiatives for sensitization of users on cybersecurity within national institutions.
- Develop Legal and Regulatory frameworks related to cyber legislations and adapt them to the reality of local digital environment to ensure an effective response to ICT offences.
Summary
It’s clear that governments are the highest-value targets for cyberattackers today. The expanding use of ICTs in the conduct of daily operations, the delivery of services like e-services or e-government, has inevitably resulted in the emergence of risks related to Cyber-attacks for their agencies and other public institutions. Their cybersecurity presents a real problem due to the huge volume of threats that agencies face on a daily basis, and the scale of the potential consequences if the threats aren’t foiled. On top of that, these increasing cyberthreats constitute a threat to the national security – However, most agencies simply are devoting too little funding and manpower to the problem. They need to increase investments in strong cybersecurity technologies and provide cybersecurity related training to employees in order to minimize risks and take full advantage of the long-desired digital transformation.