The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has urged tertiary institutions to treat cybersecurity as a governance and national security issue, rather than merely a technical discipline.

In a speech read on his behalf at the National Cybersecurity Education Conference in Accra, he said stakeholders must act collectively and decisively to ensure a safe, trusted, and accountable academic environment free from cyber threats.

The conference, which was held on the theme “Empowering Higher Education for Cyber Resilience and Digital Rights,” was organised by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, and the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

Mr Iddrisu said the Ministry was working with the CSA to establish an Education Sector Computer Emergency Response Team (Edu-CERT) to detect, coordinate, and respond to cyber incidents within the sector.

He warned that cyber breaches, admission fraud, and attempts to manipulate grades or forge certificates undermined public trust, damaged lives, and threatened the credibility of the educational system.

“We are committed to creating an educational system for students with cybersecurity awareness and digital rights literacy and securing the digital infrastructure of our institution,” he said.

Referencing Microsoft’s October 2024 Cybersecurity Report, Mr Iddrisu said the education sector remained vulnerable to cyberattacks due to the volume of sensitive data it handled, including health records, financial information, and other regulated data.

He stressed the need to prioritise and enhance security measures across educational institutions, adding that the Ministry was reviewing its ICT in Education Policy to promote a digitally inclusive and safe learning environment.

“Our vision as a Ministry is for every student, regardless of discipline — whether in business, nursing, engineering, or the arts — to graduate with a grounding in cybersecurity and data ethics,” he said.

Mr. Iddrisu also called for the integration of cybersecurity principles into digital lending to enhance safety and trust and highlighted the Ministry’s partnership with GTEC to establish a national cybersecurity competency and qualification framework.

Acting Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority Divine Selase Agbeti said the Authority, in collaboration with stakeholders, was committed to building a future where Ghana’s digital transformation was secure, informed, and accountable.

He noted that global cybercrime was projected to reach $10.5 trillion by the end of 2025, making it one of the largest transfers of economic wealth in history.

The Director-General of GTEC, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai stressed that cybersecurity must be embraced beyond IT departments, warning that cyber threats could compromise academic integrity.

He called for collective action to address the growing menace.