IT IS TIME TO CREATE AN AFRICAN CYBER COMMISSION UNDER A AFRICA HOMELAND SECURITY CONCEPT

AFRICA NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY EMBRACED TECHNOLOGY & SECURITY

TODAY`S ECONOMY AND GROWTH IS DRIVEN BY EFFICIENT ICT INFRASTRUCTURE

By Syl Juxon Smith

African leaders and its various working organisations must critically start seriously looking at the setting up of a CYBER COMMISSION structured under an AFRICA HOMELAND SECURITY…..a new initiative I am proposing to combat the ever growing Cyber crimes including DATA theft and hacking, now becoming a daily event and a profitable venture for the ever sophisticated criminal enterprises breeding a new mindset of individuals, whose callous and well organised actions is affecting the very foundation of both the electronic e-business, normal day to day business activities;- banks, financial institutions and governments national security integrity. This is a growing trend very troubling and must be nipped in the bud earlier, or gradually it will become a serious cause for concern, leading to one of the greatest threat already casting its shadows on every profitable gamut of society which will eventually engulf developing and potential African countries, their networks, national spectrums, polluting the very basic communications layer that will be very costly to challenge and rehabilitate in the long run. Also will affect and disrupt government activities relying on effective and efficient data transmission and digital security management. No organisation, business or government can be safe today with the kind of threat the internet, intranet and communications is posing especially to the African environment with virtually nothing to manage and counter cyber threats. 85% of our present activities are supported by communications and technology in convergence. This must be properly acknowledge to understand the kind and levels of threats and danger that come with it. Each African country must start looking at creating its own CYBER SECURITY TASK FORCE to have a better perspective of the level of penetration in all spheres of communications and networking to come up with adequate solutions. This local organisation shall then be affiliated to the international bodies for support which needs some degree of confidentiality and integrity to be effective.    

Africa is a continent comprised of diverse countries, each of which is developing at a different rate, many of which are dynamic emerging economies especially Ghana, which is rapidly becoming the beacon of light and hope in dynamic transformation, economic and human resource capacity growth. Most economic growth in the developed regions is driven by information and communications technology (ICT). We must follow a well define ICT agenda with cost effective integrated solution concept for modernisation of communications and technology highways in Africa. What is less widely understood in modern society is that all economies are information economies, which Africans, governments and authorities must clearly understand and embraced for development, progress and security.

The free flow of information lowers the barriers to economic activity and stimulates growth and productivity, even economies that we do not normally regard as fully developed. Connectivity and accessibility is the key enabler of the information flow that defines modern economies. It is also the key enabler of an ongoing economic transformation in many major developed countries as well as African countries. Choices are very paramount for African economies in deciding strategies for infrastructural implementation and back haul to support continuity. Secure, reliable and highly scalable systems with global connectivity is a necessity and the core objective, supporting all traffic payloads, with scalable high speed data rates, while offering seamless integration to all other both private and governmental existing network architecture. .

Africa needs to shape the regulatory framework to set the environment in which countries can import technologies which can compete; set technical standards, and substantially broaden African access to value-added information services. At the moment, Africa commands little attention among developed technologists and countries, leaving the field open to those who might wish to take a commanding leadership role quickly and, perhaps, largely unchallenged. It is true that these African markets lag behind those in East Asia, Latin America, eastern Europe, and the states of the former Soviet Union in their development. But, they offer incredible opportunity for the long-term.  Rather than still adopting the old way of doing things and thinking is we must substantially increase the exploration, development and use of our abundant energy and mineral resources as a basis for aggressive developments and challenges.

Did You Know…?

An estimated 30% of all villages worldwide still have no access to telephone services. (ITU)

There are over 324 Million mobile subscribers in Africa.

AFRICA  NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY & DIGITAL SECURITY

Human Resource Capacity Building in ICT as a Vocational Concept Is Inevitable and the Only Solution to Development & Growth

EXPORT OUR POTENTIALS AND IMPORTING THE REWARDS IS THE WAY FORWARD