Inclusiveness vital towards protecting and advancing cybersecurity space – Ashigbey to govt

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Kenneth Ashigbey has asked the government to include citizens in its decision making towards advancing Ghana’s cyberspace.

According to Kenneth Ashigbey, a collaboration between government and citizens, with some form of regulatory independence, would significantly boost Ghana’s cybersecurity structure.

Speaking at this year's Ghana Internet Conference on Friday, October 24, 2020, Kenneth Ashigbey explained, “We as citizens and consumers also need to come into that space so that we would develop the governance structure and the systems that work.”

He added, “It really then wouldn’t be an arrowhead who is saying this has to happen but because we have put the rules in place that govern us, we know that if you’re President and you’re going wrong, the rules would apply. We need to get to the stage where actions are not based-on people’s idiocentrism but based on what we have collectively agreed on.

He continued, “So, we all need to own the space but definitely because with the current paradigm that we have where we are still electing people, they might have to shepherd a bit but it has to be based on rules that we have decided and not just because they decided that this has to happen.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Director-General of the National Information Technology Agency, Kwame Kyei Ofori on his part advised citizens to remain vigilant when conducting digital transactions to prevent the rise of cyber fraud.

“The first point of security is us, the people. We have to make sure that we are not just clicking on anything, just inserting any pen drives or just allowing anything onto our devices because the moment you do so, you are exposing yourself, and everybody else to a vulnerability that is beyond measure,” Kyei Ofori said.

“So, the first point of security is you the human being thinking about it first. If you’re not sure, just wait and verify before you move on. That is the cheapest way to avoid a big hit in a country like ours,” he cautioned.