Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

Government is concerned about the increasing rate of cyber crimes across the globe.

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who made this known, expressed worry about how security breaches have gained notoriety, with the capacity to endanger global economy increasingly linked through digitalization.

He reiterated government’s determination to stay ahead of the curve.

Speaking at the launch of the 2018 National Cybersecurity Awareness Programme in Accra yesterday, he called for a concerted and coordinated effort to fight the ills of cyber crime and prevent the growing menace.

Ghana, he said, was part of the global village that is pushing for connectivity in an increasingly digital world, and it is imperative that everyone becomes security conscious.

“As we become more reliant on the digital economy, we must have a collective responsibility to create awareness as an imperative for ensuring that our digital world is secure and mutually beneficial to all users,” he disclosed.

“It should be obvious to many of us that due to the way business is conducted and the linkages between countries through the cyber space, like terrorism, cyber risk has become one of the most dominant issues on the international agenda.

“As we become closely connected to each other, together we become highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. When there are insufficient authentication methods or a lack of consumer security knowledge, then each user is only as safe or vulnerable as the other,” he emphasised.

In spite of the threat it poses, Dr Bawumia indicated that government was working with partners both home and abroad to ensure enhanced cyber security for Ghana.

“The Ministry of Communications has assessed the challenges facing Ghana with respect to cyber security, and charted a roadmap that would ensure protection for government, business, the public, and most importantly our children, who have become a target for all forms of abuse and exploitation online.

“For government, cyber security is a public good. The benefits are shared. It is therefore an obligation that the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Communications, takes it seriously. Government will make the necessary efforts to support national cyber security development efforts,” he added.

The Minister for Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, in a brief remark, outlined a number of activities lined up for the awareness campaign, including regional launches, cyber security and crime awareness campaigns in selected schools in all 10 regions across the country and a dialogue with all former Ministers of Communication.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent