Digitalisation efforts cannot be sustained without cybersecurity – Ursula

By Justice Dzido On Feb 21, 2022

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has said, Ghana’s digitalisation efforts cannot be sustained without cybersecurity adding that, policies initiated by the Akufo-Addo administration in improving cyber security have helped placed Ghana 3rd on the African continent and 43rd globally.

The lawmaker made this known at the inauguration of an 11-member Governing Board for the Cyber Security Authority in Accra last Friday.

“Cyber-attacks could undermine our gains in digitalisation. It could undermine our social and economic well-being and consequently, our national security. We can’t sustain our gains in digitization without focusing on cyber-security because cyberattacks can undermine all our gains in digitization.

“It could destroy our social and economic well-being and our national security as it is very much a party of the security apparatus of this country and the government in the last five years has taken the development of cybersecurity infrastructure and installation seriously and the establishment of this authority is one of the milestones achieved. We have made significant progress within the last five years and the strides we have made have gain Ghana global recognition” she said.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful, who is chairperson of the Board, further highlighted interventions which include the ratification of the Budapest and Malabo Conventions, the launch of the Safer Digital Ghana Campaign, the passage of the Cybersecurity Act 2020, the revision of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy, and the development of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) ecosystem.

She encouraged her colleague Board members to focus on implementation, adding that securing sustainable funding was crucial to the implementation of the Cybersecurity Act 1038 and hence the Board had an immediate and a critical mandate to operationalise Section 29 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020.

The Chairperson further charged the Acting Director-General and the management of the Cyber Security Authority, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako to focus on the implementation of the relevant regulatory measures including the protection of Ghana’s Critical Information Infrastructure, and work closely with the Joint Cybersecurity Committee (JCC), which will soon be inaugurated, and other non-governmental actors in Ghana’s cybersecurity development.

The Board is made up of Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for National Security; Mr. Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior; Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, Minister of Defence; Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako.

Others are Professor Boateng Onwona-Agyeman, Mr Carl A. Sackey, Madam Adelaide Benneh-Prempeh, Madam Esther Dzifa Ofori, Mrs Mavis Vijaya Afakor Amoa and Mr Reginald Botchwey.

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) was established by the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) to regulate cybersecurity activities, promote the development of cybersecurity and to provide for related matters.

The CSA officially started operations on October 1, 2021; starting as the National Cyber Security Secretariat (NCSS) with the appointment of the National Cybersecurity Advisor in 2017 and later transitioned into the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in 2018 as an agency under the Ministry of Communications.

As a government agency under the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, the CSA has the responsibility to regulate cybersecurity activities in the country, prevent, manage and respond to cybersecurity threats and cybersecurity incidents regulate owners of critical information infrastructure in respect of cybersecurity activities, cybersecurity service providers and practitioners in the country.

The Authority also has the mandate to promote the development of cybersecurity in the country to ensure a secured and resilient digital ecosystem, establish a platform for cross-sector engagement on matters of cybersecurity for effective co-ordination and co-operation between key public institutions and the private sector, create awareness of cybersecurity matters and collaborate with international agencies to promote the cybersecurity of the country.

The Board consists of:

(a) The Ministers responsible for (i) Communications; (ii) the Interior; (iii) National Security; and (iv) Defence

(b) The Director-General of the Authority

(d) Three other persons nominated by the President on the advice of the Minister, at least two of whom are women.

Functions of the Board:

(a) Have oversight responsibility for the Authority;

(b) Be responsible for the strategic direction and policies of the Authority;

(d) Ensure the efficient and effective performance of the functions of the Authority.