National Cyber Security Advisor says the country's digital infrastructure and information system are highly exposed to unforeseen attacks in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako said if emergency measures are not put in place to check the country's cyberspace, it will not augur well.

He said this is due to the significant increase in online activities by both government and private sector institutions.

There has been an increase in cyber attacks in the last few months as the Covid-19 pandemic triggers a rise in online business activities.

The challenge, however, is the country's readiness to curb the situation.

Speaking with JoyBusiness, National Cyber Security Advisor, Dr Antwi- Boasiako admitted that the country would be highly exposed to attacks if emergency measures are not put in place by both government and the private sector.

“At the national level, there is a gap that needs to be addressed and the Minister has raised concerns especially in the era of Covid-19.

"Ghana risks serious a challenge. There is a serious risk exposure to businesses, government data and to our digital infrastructure if we do not scale up our readiness to protect our critical national information infrastructure.

"During the lockdown, the only mechanism that allows us to engage was the digital platforms which show the uniqueness and the fact that digital platforms now is the key mechanism by which life both productive and social life can be achieved”.

Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako has urged businesses operating in the country to put in place specific safety measures to safeguard their digital space as government continues to review the protocols and policies on cybersecurity.

“There is empirical evidence that it could happen because it happened before in South Africa, Romania and others. It’s a collective work that we need to do,” he said.

Government is leading the challenge for scaling up in terms of revising policies, in terms of introducing regulations that will incentivise the private sector but also compel businesses to improve their information security programs across the board.

The National Cyber Security Centre is an agency under the Ministry of Communications with the aim of securing Ghana's digital journey.

The Centre currently has a five-year National Cybersecurity Awareness programme dubbed “A safer Digital Ghana” to build capacity and create awareness on cybercrime and improve on the country’s cybersecurity readiness.