[ad_1]
Ms. Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communication, said the lack of national cooperation had severely hampered the country's ability to effectively combat cybercrime and solve problems related to cybercrime.
<! –
->
<! –
->
Parliament's Select Committee on Communications met over the weekend to consider two draft laws; Cybersecurity and Interception Bill and the revised National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy.
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 Cybersecurity 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 Ministry of Communications' retreat through the National Cybersecurity Center, Sector Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful took the time to list some of the challenges Ghana faces in facing to cybersecurity.
She spoke of the general lack of awareness among Internet users and the need to raise awareness of "certain habits that can become major threats to cybersecurity". She stressed that the implementation of essential practices of eHealth by citizens would solve some problems. habits that 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 work together 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 provisions on cybercrime and the protection of personal data, there is no comprehensive cybersecurity law that can address 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, it is incumbent upon the government to provide law enforcement and security agencies with the necessary means to combat this cyberspace and to facilitate crimes related to telecommunication 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 thorn in our flesh and it is important that we settle it once and for all," he said.
Highlighting the content of the bill, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, National Advisor for Cybersecurity, said: "It examines the regulation of the cybersecurity sector, establishes a cybersecurity authority, provides, among other things, a an international mechanism allowing Ghana to receive reports on cyber security incidents ". also send reports for international collaboration.
[ad_2]
Source link
