• The strengthening of Ghana’s cybersecurity space is essential
• Ghana is seeking to enhance its digitization agenda
Minister for Communications of Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has emphasised the need for Cybersecurity professionals to play a key role in Ghana’s digitalisation agenda.
According to her, there are currently more jobs in the digital space compared to the number of skills available hence the need to equip young people in the sector.
Speaking with journalists in Accra on Monday, the minister explained, “Once people acquire the requisite skills, the jobs are waiting both in the public and private sectors. So far, 180 agencies have been identified as Critical Information Infrastructure that needs to build up their cyber security defences to protect vulnerable systems.
“They will, as professionals, help protect the vulnerable systems and all those are possible jobs waiting...they are not only in the public but the private sector as well so long as we are digitizing, we need to take a critical look at cybersecurity as well.”
The Communications Minister called on the Ghanaian youth interested in the tech space to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said this after the launch of the Women in Technology Forum was held in Accra on Monday, October 25, 2021.
Meanwhile, Government has disclosed the establishment of a Cybersecurity Fund which will be contained in the upcoming 2022 budget statement.
The development comes after the newly instituted Cyber Security Authority was given the mandate to boost and strengthen the country’s cybersecurity space.
The move to establish a Cybersecurity Fund complies with provisions contained in Section 29 of the Cybersecurity Act 2020. It will also provide financial resources to combat cybercrime.
Already, cybercrime is estimated to have cost US$6 trillion globally in 2021 and is expected to reach US$10.5 trillion by 2025.
