Unlicensed cybersecurity service providers cannot operate from January 2023 — Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako

The Acting Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Dr Albert Antwi-Boasiako, has said effective January 2023, no business or individual in Ghana will be able to offer cybersecurity services unless the entity or individual is licensed or accredited by the Authority.

He explained that the licensing of Cybersecurity Service Providers forms part of the regulatory measures that the CSA has initiated, which also include the protection of Critical Information Infrastructures and regulations on cybersecurity incident reporting and response.

Speaking at the media launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) 2022 in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Antwi-Boasiako said the designated Critical Information Infrastructure Owners shall be subjected to mandatory audit and compliance checks against the Directive for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructures which was adopted on October 1, 2021.

“These are part of the new regulations and measures being implemented pursuant to the Cybersecurity Act, 2020. The Authority is being guided by the Governing Board and also through the Joint Cybersecurity Committee to approach cybersecurity regulations from a collaborative perspective. We believe collaborative regulations hold the key to bring both the public and private sector stakeholders together towards achieving a secure and resilient digital Ghana,” he added.

He expressed concern about children becoming prone to online criminal practices which are detrimental to their development, even though the internet offers numerous opportunities that can improve their lives.

“The Cyber Security Authority, as a regulator, is committed to ensuring the protection of children online per its mandate in the Cybersecurity Act 2020. In furtherance of the mandate, the Child Online Protection Framework has been revised to ensure the utmost safety of our children online,” he stated.

He announced that as part of the NCSAM 2022 celebrations, the Authority would engage with stakeholders including public consultations for inputs into the various regulations which are expected to take full effect starting January 2023.

“As part of measures to effectively implement the Cybersecurity Act, awareness creation cannot be overemphasised. The CSA, therefore, seeks to leverage the 2022 edition of the annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) to engage and partner with stakeholders in the public and private sectors to implement key cybersecurity regulations and to build capacity among critical stakeholders,” he added.

On her part, the Deputy Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Madam Ama Pomaa Boateng, noted that cybersecurity is key to sustaining Ghana’s digitalisation agenda.

“Therefore, it is crucial to have effective measures to protect our critical information infrastructure, coordinate and respond to cybersecurity incidents and develop a cybersecurity culture in the interest of our socio-economic development,” she added.