Cybersecurity Act Passed to Promote & Regulate Cybersecurity Activities

Communications Ministry, in August 2019 launched a system to control Ghana’s Cyberspace, and this act has been passed by parliament to Promote & Regulate Cybersecurity Activities.

The launch in 2019 came after threats of cyber-attacks to online businesses across the country. Globally, data privacy had become a vital area of interest, and governments around the world begun to adopt stringent measures to protect online businesses that deal with data as a key resource.

The Communications Ministry, therefore thought it wise to create a system to ensure a more secured cyberspace for government and private businesses operating within Ghanaian jurisdiction.

The Government of Ghana first launched the Electronic justice (E-Justice) module under the E-governance architecture put in place on 20th March 2019 to fast track judicial cases and court proceedings for a better justice delivery system.

The Ministry of Communication also set up a Public Key Infrastructure Architecture to provide another layer of authentication and security for all digital transactions which would include digital certificates and digital documents to be utilized in the e-justice infrastructure.

The National Information Technology Agency (NITA), an agency under the Communication Ministry has the Certification Authority to implement and enforce the provision of the Electronic Transactions Act, Clause 30(1) of the Electronic Transactions Act 2008 (Act 772).

Launching the project, the sector Minister, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful was glad the Public Key Infrastructure would provide the means and technology to protect electronic transactions and reduce incidences of electronic tampering and fraud.

She noted that the platform will provide the means to electronically sign documents and provide authentication through secured verification processes.

Demonstrating how the system works, she indicated that it encompasses two keys mathematically linked systems making it impossible to calculate the private key from the public key.

She concluded that “Once Ghana publicizes its public key infrastructure it will help improve the country’s standing internationally and enhance e-commerce transactions, so that, globally transactions emanating from Ghana will have a seal of approval’’.

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In the COVID-19 era, however, the Cybersecurity Act has been passed to Promote & Regulate Cybersecurity Activities.

The Law establishes the Cyber Security Authority, protects the critical information infrastructure of the country, regulates cybersecurity activities, provides for the protection of children on the internet, and develops Ghana’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

The memorandum signed by the Minister for Communications, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, indicated that a successful economy is hinged on a secured, safe and resilient national digital ecosystem. Cybersecurity is, therefore, very critical to the economic development of the country and essential to the protection of the rights of individuals within the national digital ecosystem’.

These cybersecurity incidents have affected critical sectors of the country including energy, telecommunications, banking, and finance, and have caused disruptions in the delivery of essential services. If unchecked, it can undermine the security and economy of the country.

A number of initiatives have been implemented by the government through the Ministry of Communications to improve Ghana’s cybersecurity development. These include;

• The revision of Ghana’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy
• The establishment of the National Cyber Security Centre
• The launch of the Safer Digital Ghana campaign
• The launch of Cybercrime
• Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Points of Contact.

Others include the establishment of the Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERT) at the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Security Operations Centres at both the Bank of Ghana and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) as well as capacity building on cybercrime for the criminal justice sector.

The law also empowers security and law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime and makes provision for dedicated sources of funding for the Cyber Security Authority and its activities.

..Ministry of Communications