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Ghana’s Parliament has enacted the landmark Cybersecurity Act 2020 to establish the Cybersecurity Authority with the aim of protecting the country’s critical information infrastructure.
The passage of the Cybersecurity Act of 2020 will also regulate cybersecurity activities, provide protection for children on the Internet, and develop Ghana’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
Cybersecurity also aims to position Ghana to prevent, manage and respond to cybersecurity incidents in light of our digital transformation agenda.
The memorandum signed by the Minister of Communications, Ms. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, revealed that “a successful economy depends on a safe, secure and resilient national digital ecosystem. Cybersecurity is, therefore, very critical for the economic development of the country and essential for the protection of people’s rights within the national digital ecosystem. ‘
The Internet has become a critical infrastructure and an enabler of commitments for individual users, businesses, and governments around the world. In Ghana, increasing dependence on the Internet and information and communication technology has led to an increase in cybersecurity incidents, such as ransomware, cyber theft, bank fraud, cyber espionage and other cyber attacks targeting critical information infrastructure.
These cybersecurity incidents have affected critical sectors of the country, including energy, telecommunications, banking and finance, and have caused disruptions in the provision of essential services. Left unchecked, it can undermine the security and economy of the country.
The Act also addresses crimes against children and the general public online, as these acts are increasing due to the use of digital services and platforms, especially in this era of COVID-19.
Ratification of the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Protection of Personal Data (Malabo Convention) and the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) by Parliament in 2018 and 2019 requires Ghana to establish appropriate mechanisms for cybersecurity governance , to fight cybercrime and promote cybersecurity. and support national and international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime. Implementation of the law is required to enhance and reaffirm Ghana’s leadership on cybersecurity issues in the subregion.
The government has implemented a number of initiatives through the Ministry of Communications to enhance the development of cybersecurity in Ghana. These include the review of the Ghana National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy, the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Center, the launch of the Safer Digital Ghana campaign, the launch of Contact Points for Reporting Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Incidents.
Others include the establishment of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) at the National Communications Authority (NCA) and Security Operations Centers at both the Bank of Ghana and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), as well as the development of cybercrime capacities for the criminal justice sector.
The law also empowers law enforcement and security agencies to combat cybercrime and provides dedicated funding sources for the Cybersecurity Authority and its activities.
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