Ghana-Israel sign 2 MoU on cyber security
The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has led Ghana’s delegation to take part in the three-day CyberTech Global 2020 conference which took place last week in Tel Aviv, Israel from January 28-30, 2020.
The delegation was made up of representatives of the National Cyber Security Centre, National Communications Authority, National Information Technology Agency and members of the Ghanaian business community.
This year’s conference on cyber security, under the banner CyberTech 2020, attracted high-level government officials, technocrats, experts and business leaders from across the world to deliberate on common challenges facing their countries/organisations and devise strategic policies to combat cyber crime worldwide.
During the conference, the Minister of Communications, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Government of the State of Israel, represented by Israel’s Minister of Communications, Mr David Amsalem, and Mr Yigal Unna, Head of the Israel National Cybersecurity Directorate.
The agreements focus on cooperation to strengthen cyber security and cooperation between the two countries in the fields of telecommunications, post and information technologies.
To boost cooperation to strengthen cyber security between the two countries, the MoU recognises that the proper functioning and security of the digital environment (including the internet) are essential to the performance of economies and societies, and stimulate growth, innovation, well-being and inclusiveness.
The MoU also highlights the role of public and private organisations in managing cyber security risks, as well as the pivotal role of governments in developing and deploying policy measures, tools, regulatory and operational responses to mitigate cyber security risk.
It provides opportunities for capacity-building which will complement the work that the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Communications, has already started.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful noted that technology and processes alone were not enough to protect the citizens of Ghana and Israel, and stressed the need to develop the necessary human resource base to support the processes.
The minister also said the MoU is expected to further support Ghana’s development in cyber security, as the proposed Cyber Security Bill is expected to be passed into law this year, as well as fully operationalise the National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy.
It is envisaged that the MoU will complement national efforts, especially in the area of cyber security research and development, towards achieving self-reliance and building exports of cyber security products and services in the sub-region, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said.
Under cooperation in the fields of telecommunications, post and information technologies, both countries agreed on the basis of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefit to develop telecommunications and postal services between the two countries, in accordance with the provisions in the MoU.
Furthering the goal of international cooperation, Ghana has ratified the Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention, becoming the 62nd state party and the fifth African country to sign the agreement. Ghana has also ratified the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, becoming only the third country in Africa to ratify the convention after Mauritius and Senegal.
BY TIMES REPORTER
