$100m needed to combat cybercrime – Antwi Boasiako

National Cyber Security Advisor, Dr Antwi Boasiako says Ghana would need not less than $100million as seed money to build a robust cybersecurity infrastructure.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday, Dr Boasiako said, “at least, for the seed capital, we’re not looking at less than $100 million to start to build a resilient architecture of which we can continue to support operations, R&D (research and development), engagements as we move along.

“But the bottom line is, we need to start from somewhere with some kind of investment.”

According to him, 75% of mobile money fraud would have been prevented if citizens were to go through hygienic cybersecurity practices.

The government in 2017 set up an Inter-Ministerial Advisory Committee and a National Cyber Security Secretariat as Ghana began the implementation of a National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy.

Director of the Cybercrime Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Dr Herbert Gustav Yankson has observed that based on available cybercrime statistics it is not likely to realize any decrease in cybercrime rates.

He noted that over $100m has been lost to cyber fraud in two years.

Dr Boasiako advised that cybersecurity move away from donor support to a guaranteed source of funding.