- Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has granted licences and accreditation to 51 industry players including, eight Cybersecurity Service Providers (CSPs), eight Cybersecurity Establishments (CEs), and 35 Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs).
- These players include Cybersecurity Service Providers (CSPs) like Virtual Infosec Africa, e-Crime Bureau, and CWG Ghana; Cybersecurity Establishments (CEs) such as Absa Bank, Access Bank, Fidelity Bank, and Guarantee Trust Bank; and Cybersecurity Professionals (CPs) including Kester Quist-Aphetsi, Tornyelli Tetteh, Jeannette Quayson, Olivia Jones, and Ebenezer N. Nakoja.
- The licence for cybersecurity professionals is renewable annually, and that for cybersecurity service providers and cybersecurity establishments is valid for two years.
This initiative aligns with the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), specifically sections 4(k), 49, 50, 51, 57, and 59, which empower the Authority to oversee Ghana’s cybersecurity landscape. The Act mandates the regulation of cybersecurity activities to ensure that services provided to Ghanaians meet approved standards and procedures.
Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Director-General of the CSA, affirmed the Authority’s dedication to enforcing compliance among all entities and individuals. He emphasised that those found in breach of regulations could face severe consequences, including criminal prosecution and administrative penalties.
Per Surf Shark, a VPN firm, last updated in April 2024, Ghana was ranked ninth among ten African countries with the most data breaches in 2024.
The country recorded a 997% breach increase in the first quarter of 2024 over the fourth quarter of 2023 resulting in a total of 1.2 million breaches. Also maintaining 92nd globally, the country experienced just over four million breaches since 2004.
The latest of such breaches was in 2021 when the National Service Secretariate (NSS) suffered a massive database misconfiguration that exposed data of up to 700,000 citizens from across the country.
In September 2023, Antwi-Boasiako disclosed that cyber fraud incidents in the country resulted in substantial financial losses totalling $4.33 million. These losses represent only those reported to officials between January and June 2023, with potentially higher amounts from unreported cases.
To address the cybersecurity challenges, the government barred unlicenced industry players from operating, and as of October 2023, the Authority received 907 licencing and accreditation requests after it began the processes in March.
What’s more, there has been a resurgence in cases of cyberbullying experienced by the users of digital lending apps with 38 culpable digital lending mobile applications and 130 reports filed as of June 2024.
Source: https://techpoint.africa/2024/07/15/51-cybersecurity-players-licensed-ghana/