Cybersecurity must become a duty to customers — CSA Director-General warns

The Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Divine Selase Agbeti, has cautioned that cybersecurity must move beyond compliance to become a duty owed to every customer whose money and data are entrusted to financial institutions.

Speaking at the launch of the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) at CalBank’s head office in Accra, Mr Agbeti said the campaign’s theme “Securing Ghana’s Digital Finance Ecosystem: Building Trust Through Collaboration and Cyber Resilience” reflects the growing risks accompanying the rapid expansion of digital financial services.

He cited the Bank of Ghana’s 2025 Fraud Report, which revealed a 48 per cent rise in fraud cases across banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions, and payment service providers, increasing from 16,733 in 2024 to 24,778 in 2025.

“Electronic fraud incidents in the payment service provider segment surged by 54 per cent. Between January and July 2026, the CSA recorded 3,876 cybersecurity incidents, with online fraud accounting for nearly half,” he said.

Mr Agbeti noted that institutions must procure cybersecurity services only from providers licensed or accredited by the CSA, in line with Ghana’s regulatory framework.

“The Authority will exercise the powers available to it when institutions or service providers disregard applicable cybersecurity obligations and put the public at risk,” he warned.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Deputy Minister Mohammed Adams Sukparu (MP) outlined five strategic pillars for NCSAM 2026, including securing digital finance, Cybercrime prevention, Resilience and infrastructure protection, Cyber hygiene and safety and Capacity building and collaboration.

Mr Sukparu urged stakeholders to build a Ghana where citizens can make digital payments with confidence, businesses can innovate without fear, and investors can trust the resilience of the digital economy.

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, pointed to joint CSA–CID operations in Tema that led to 39 arrests, and an Interpol-led crackdown that resulted in 68 arrests, the seizure of 835 devices, the identification of 108 victims, and the recovery of more than US$450,000 in losses.

“Cybercrime may be borderless, but criminals are not beyond reach,” she said.