Kenya to Host First Cybersecurity Continental Summit

The first African Cyber Defense Summit is coming to Nairobi in July. Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Mr. Joe Mucheru has confirmed, citing the increase in cybercrime around the globe as a threat to African businesses. A number of international organizations have partnered to support the two-day event. These include Telecommunication Union, African Union in collaboration with NASEBA, a global investor relations firm based in the United Arab Emirates, and the African Cyberspace Network.
Kenya is one of the leading African countries in internet usage with a broadband coverage of 78% making it vulnerable to cybercrime in the region. Hackers have become more skilled and emboldened recently with many Kenyan businesses losing hundreds of millions of shillings from to online fraudsters. Dr. Kate Getao, Kenya’s Permanent Secretary for Information, Communication, and Technology, also stressed the need for a Pan-African cybersecurity research institute that will educate and instill in employees a high level of awareness, skill, and knowledge on cybercrime; with the hopes of curbing the recent rise in online fraud.
The current shortage of skilled human resource on cybercrime and lack of awareness in Africa has hampered the fight against online fraud, leaving businesses open to attacks, which may also affect the businesses’ supply chain. The summit comes at a time when Kenya has just passed into law Computer and Cybercrime Bill, 2017, which seeks to protect individuals and companies from online attacks. The new law will see hackers pay 49700 dollars or spend three years in prison or both.
The summit will take place between July 9th and 10th, 2018.
Source: Itnewsafrica.com