JoyNews, in collaboration with the Youth Bridge Foundation has organised a one-day National Dialogue on cybersecurity.

The event, themed ‘Strengthening Cybersecurity Protocols, Safeguarding Citizens' Vulnerability,’ was held at the Ecobank Head Office in Ridge, Accra on Tuesday, March 12.

The objective of the dialogue is to complement government efforts, particularly in the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038) which mandates the Cyber Security Authority to enforce cybersecurity standards adopted, and monitor compliance by both public and private sector actors.

The national dialogue also aimed to address critical policy implementation issues and challenges in the cybersecurity domain, including existing data protection protocols in the country.

The organisers acknowledged the support from Ecobank Ghana Limited, Hydra Cybersecurity, Ghana Enterprises Agency, and the Cyber Security Authority.

They appreciated the government’s initiatives and Ghana's significant progress in enhancing cyber protection measures, such as ratifying the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection, establishing the Cyber Security Authority, enacting the Data Protection Act of 2012, and conducting public awareness campaigns on cybersecurity matters.

After deliberating on cybersecurity ecosystem issues and challenges, participants expressed concern about the lack of a legislative instrument to elaborate on and provide more detailed rules and regulations for the operational guidelines and procedures outlined in the Cybersecurity Act of 2020 (Act 1038).

They recognised that weak cybersecurity guidelines and ineffective monitoring of institutional cybersecurity protocols have significant consequences for the broader economy, particularly in educational and health institutions.

Thus, the participants admitted that cyber security issues and the need to protect citizens from vulnerabilities are collective responsibilities requiring a multi-stakeholder approach to strengthening the cybersecurity protocols in Ghana. 

Guests who attended and participated in the discussion included the Director-General of the Cybersecurity Authority, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako; the Chief Executive Officer of Hydra Cyber Security, Kwame Oduro Numapau; and Stephen Cudjoe-Sesshie, Head of National Computer Emergency Response Team, Cyber Security Authority.

Others include the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Identification Authority, Prof Kenneth Attafuah, and the Head of IT at the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Jacob Tetteh Akonnor.