Such cybersecurity policies are to be based on the directive for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure Directive launched by the government in 2021.

The directive is in conformity with Section 35 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038).

Visit

The minister said this when he paid a working visit to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) to interact with the management and staff and to familiarise himself with the operations of the Authority as part of his scheduled visit to 175 state-owned enterprises in the country.

The minister indicated that the increasing rate of cyberattacks on countries and critical infrastructure across the globe made the mandate of the CSA the most vital institution of the state, given the current direction to digitalise all sectors of the economy.

He said the CSA was clothed with the mandatory powers to support and safeguard the country from the risks that were associated with all digitalised economies.

Commenting on the ongoing regulatory exercise of the CSA, the Minister pledged to work through the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) to ensure that only licensed and accredited cybersecurity service providers and professionals were allowed to provide cybersecurity services for public sector institutions in the country after the September 30, 2023 deadline set by the authority.

He noted that the country had a collective responsibility to ensure that critical information infrastructures were protected from cyberattacks.

Mr Cudjoe expressed his excitement about the level of collaboration the country was enjoying through a memorandum of understanding signed by the CSA with other African countries such as Rwanda and Mozambique.

That, he said, placed the country on the continental radar, affirming that the move was within the context of the larger African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’s objective of promoting the development of the cybersecurity industry by bringing the African countries onto a common platform.

Recognising the CSA’s role as a revenue-protection agency as opposed to a revenue-generating agency, Mr Cudjoe pledged the government’s commitment to ensure that the Authority was well resourced to protect the interests of the state, given the critical nature of its mandate.

He stressed that enhancing systems and building capacity of CSA staff must be a continuous process as the modus operandi of cybercriminals was constantly evolving.

Mr Cudjoe commended the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, for her visionary leadership which he said had manifested in the giant leaps achieved by the Authority.

He emphasised the importance of operationalising the cybersecurity fund in line with Section 29 of the Cybersecurity Act. 2020 (Act 1038), to surmount any form of impediments to achieving the Authority’s mandate.

The minister was accompanied by the Policy Advisor of the Ministry, Sam Aning; Assistant Directors, Mr Richard Bosompem Ababio and Nanna Akua Sarpoma Nimako Boateng, and other members of staff from the Ministry of Public Enterprises.

Protecting businesses

The Director-General of the CSA, Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, applauded the minister for his in-depth knowledge and understanding of cybersecurity matters, stressing that the mandate of the Authority established by the Cyber Security Act 2020 was to be a revenue-protecting institution.

He said the success of the Authority should be measured by the numerous interventions made to foil potential attacks on state institutions and its people.

He added that the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Incident Reporting Points of Contact (POC) which was launched in 2018, had become a major means of protecting many Ghanaians and businesses from becoming victims of cybercrime.

Dr Antwi-Boasiako said any attempt to compare the achievements of CSA in monetary terms would be a deviation from its mandate.

He added that as a specialised and evolving industry, the state stood to gain if it was able to motivate and retain committed and dedicated staff of the CSA.