Election 2024: EC must prepare for Cyber attack – Africa Center for Digital Transformation

The Africa Center for Digital Transformation (ACDT) has warned of potential cyber threats that may impact the integrity and security of the 2024 elections.

With digital transformation permeating electoral processes, the risk of cyber-attacks has become a critical concern that requires urgent attention and comprehensive strategies, according to ACDT.

In 2016, Ghana faced cyber-attacks on the Electoral Commission’s website during the elections, leading to temporary shutdowns. The EC acknowledged the attack but stated that it did not affect the integrity of the election results.

Also, in the 2020 Elections, Ghana experienced a significant number of cyber threats targeting the electoral process. These included attempts to hack the EC’s systems and other government websites. The National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Cybersecurity Authority worked to mitigate these threats, ensuring the elections proceeded without major disruptions.

Cyber-attacks during elections in West Africa have been a growing concern, with several notable incidents reported in recent years. For the various political parties in Ghana, a breach of election systems may trigger collateral effects on public institutions, the commercial victory of political parties, and influence domestic interests and foreign policy relationships.

It is for this reason that the Africa Center for Digital Transformation (ACDT) has called for a concerted effort from all stakeholders to enhance cyber defense mechanisms and ensure the protection of the electoral process this year.

To mitigate these potential risks, ACDT recommends strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, capacity building and training, public awareness campaigns, collaboration with international bodies, and incident response planning.

The ACDT assured its commitment to supporting the Ghanaian government, the Electoral Commission, and all stakeholders in ensuring that the December 7th elections are conducted in a secure, transparent, and credible manner. We urge all involved parties to prioritize cybersecurity as an integral part of the electoral process and work collaboratively to protect Ghana’s democracy from cyber threats.