Africa Cyber Security And Digital Right Organization Trains Civil Society

Africa Cyber Security and Digital Right Organization (ACDRO) has deepened the capacity of members of some Civil Society on Cyber Security in Accra.

The training dubbed, "Empowering Civil Society To Engage In Unfolding National Cyber Security Landscape," was held in collaboration with Global Partners Digital with funding from Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Executive Director of Global Partners Digital, Lea Kasper's indicated that Cyber Security and Human Rights are mutually reinforcing.

"We need strong cyber security for our rights to be enforced," she said.

According to her, relevant stakeholders must be consulted and informed about cyber security laws and policies to ensure their successful implementation.

Founding Member and Executive Director of ACDRO, Eric Akumiah said Ghana does not have laws on Cyber Security but there are policies in the pipeline which will see the light of day.

He added that the annual $2 billion cost of cybercrime in 2016 will be more this year looking at the rate at which cyber crimes are committed in Africa.

Mr. Akumiah added that information dissemination has been a major challenge to accessing Cyber Security policies in Ghana.

"If you are to move around to research on individuals knowledge of cyber security and you will get 4 to 6 percent and when you ask these people where the policies are, it would be a challenge," he intimated.

According to him, good governance, culture of security and capacity building are ways of ensuring that people become safe from cyber attacks.

Present at the workshop were representatives from civil societies; Media Foundation For West Africa (MFWA), POS Foundation and international organizations.

Civil Society Organization were asked to form a coalition to help in the formulation of policies and laws on cyber security in the country.