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Legislation aims to establish a cybersecurity authority and legal framework to effectively conduct cyber-related activities in the public interest and protect critical national information infrastructures in the country.
Ghana has already ratified two international conventions; the Malabo Convention (African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Protection of Personal Data) and the Budapest Convention (Convention on Cybercrime) recognizing the need for international cooperation to combat cybercrime and improve cybersecurity from global best practices.
On the first day of the retreat, organized by the Ministry of Communications through the National Cybersecurity Center, Sector Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful painstakingly listed some of the challenges that Ghana faces in dealing with the issue. cybersecurity.
She spoke of the general lack of awareness among Internet users and the need to raise awareness of "certain habits that can become a major threat to cybersecurity", stressing that the implementation of essential eHealth practices by citizens would respond to certain habits lead to cyber attacks.
Ms. Owusu-Ekuful added that the lack of cooperation at the national level has also severely hampered our ability to effectively combat cybercrime and solve problems related to cybercrime. "State and non-state actors need to collaborate effectively to combat cyber-threats and attacks," she said. "This includes cooperation between government agencies, intelligence agencies, private sector actors, universities, among others in the fight against cybercrime."
The lack of a dedicated and sustainable budget to fund cybersecurity activities had been a major challenge, she said, and that a sustainable budget is critical to being able to develop "our cybersecurity in ways that sustainable. "
Mrs. Owusu Ekuful then spoke about the legal limits of the growing technological era. "While the 2008 Electronic Transactions Act (Law No. 772) and the 2012 Data Protection Act (Law No. 843) contain certain provisions relating to cybercrime and the protection of personal data, There is no comprehensive cybersecurity law that addresses the current complexities of cybercrime and cybersecurity in the country, "she said.
"This explains why the Department of Communications, in collaboration with members of the National Interdepartmental Cybersecurity Advisory Council (NCSIAC) and other stakeholders, is introducing a cybersecurity bill," she said. .
According to a ministry-mandated cybersecurity maturity badessment undertaken by the Oxford University Center for Cybersecurity Capacity in collaboration with the World Bank, cybersecurity in Ghana is in its infancy, highlighting the need to build on current achievements.
"Our efforts to move forward will therefore be guided by the recommendations of the study," said Ms. Owusu-Ekuful.
The use of cyberspace and telecommunication networks to commit offenses continues to pose serious problems for law enforcement and security agencies. With the development of ICT and telecommunications services, the network environment has become the environment of choice for organized crime.
Therefore, the onus is on the government to empower law enforcement and security agencies to fight these cyber-spaces and to facilitate crimes related to telecommunications services.
The introduction of the Interception Bill should address the current problems of law enforcement and security agencies, while ensuring that Ghana meets its international obligations in terms of law enforcement. as long as the State Party to the Budapest Convention.
For his part, Ken Agyapong, chair of the European Parliament's Restricted Communications Committee, said Ghana was not safe on cybersecurity.
"Whether we like it or not, cyber-insecurity has become a rift in our flesh, so it's important that we fix it once and for all," he said.
Highlighting the content of the bill, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, National Advisor for Cybersecurity, said that he planned to regulate the cyber security sector, set up a cyber security authority, provides for a an international mechanism allowing Ghana to receive reports on cyber security incidents. send reports for international collaboration.
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