The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, says government remains committed to fostering Public-Private Partnership (PPP) which had proven effective in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by cybersecurity threats.
It was against this backdrop of the constantly evolving threats, that government had implemented some key intervention programmes to address the issues.
Speaking at the launch of the Cybersecurity Industry Forum and inauguration of the Independent Assessors in Accra yesterday, she mentioned that notable among them was the safer digital Ghana campaign, the passage of the Cybersecurity Act, the ratification of conventions, and the establishment of the Cyber Security Agency (CSA).
The Independent Assessors is a group of 18 top-tier accredited cybersecurity professionals in the country that have volunteered to support the regulator mandate of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA).
According to the minister, Ghana’s current ranking as Tier 1 country in terms of its licensing and accreditation regime as released by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) last month, reflected the commitment of the government to building such resilient digital ecosystem.
Despite these achievements, she noted that there was still work to be done in addressing issues of cybersecurity threats that required deep collaboration with industry stakeholders.
“Getting there is not the problem, staying there is; the Industry Forum, in essence, is to work with the CSA to develop Ghana’s cybersecurity within a collaborative regulatory framework. Such collaboration among diverse stakeholders across the public and private sectors has proven effective in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by cyber threats,” Mrs Owusu –Ekuful said.
“I am confident that the launch of the Industry Forum will serve as a critical platform to enhance collaboration between the public and private sectors, share knowledge experiences, promote innovation, build a skilled workforce and strengthen national resilience against cyber threats,” she added.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful acknowledged the work of the facilitating committee led by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Dr Kenneth Edem Ashigbey, on the establishment of the forum and the drafting of a constitution and an industry code to guide its operations.
The Director-General of the CSA, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, said the forum was meant to bring together thought leaders, practitioners and innovators across the country to share experiences, exchange ideas, and build industry-wide consensus on cybersecurity matters.
He noted that the forum would serve as a bridge between the CSA as a regulator and its stakeholders, while the industry through the forum would have the opportunity to nominate three persons to represent its interest on the governing board of the CSA.
“This inside approach is a clear signal of our commitment to transparency, participation, and collaboration. It is only by working together that we can achieve our common goal of fostering a resilient cybersecurity ecosystem,” Dr Antwi-Boasiako said.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA