As the world continues to embrace the full possibilities of
digital technologies, cybersecurity has become a non-negotiable prerequisite
for investment in any organization. However, effective cybersecurity remains a
challenge across Africa, with many organizations unprepared for cyberattacks.
In Ghana, despite the critical role Civil Society Organizations play, many
struggle to effectively leverage digital technology and are also not giving
cybersecurity the priority it deserves. This inadequate security, if not
addressed, will have dire consequences for CSO operations, such as data loss,
theft of intellectual property and financial and/or personal information, and
damage to brand and reputation.
Africa Business reports that 90% of African businesses are
operating without cybersecurity protocols in place, making them vulnerable to
cyber threats such as hacking, phishing, and malware attacks. The economic
consequences of digital insecurity are already substantial. According to data
from the Cybercrime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of
Ghana, Ghanaians lost over USD $19 million to
cybercrime and recorded 1,097
cybercrime cases in 2020.
In response to this worrying situation, Penplusbytes under
the Civic Space Resource Hub project (CSR-Hub) of the West Africa Civil Society
Institute (WACSI) and Spaces for Change (S4C), is embarking on training selected civil society organizations in
Ghana on digital security and protection for effective operations and safe
activism.
The training which forms part of activities under the
Civic Space Resource (CSR) Hub project launched in May 2022, will be delivered
by experts who will also offer technical assistance and coaching to
organisations to develop their internal digital security policies and action
plans.
The three-day training program will have sessions on:
Digital security concerns/relevance Organisation’s level of interest in digital
security issues; Digital security and protection policies and/or strategies,
Staff awareness and capacity building in digital security; Digital
assets/platforms protection and security.
Touching on the need for non-profits in Ghana to take
keen interest in training their staff on basic cyber issues, Executive Director
of Penplusbytes, Jerry Sam explained that “on daily basis, NGOs globally rely on mobile and digital
technologies to coordinate and fulfill their missions and this, coupled with
the large volume of data NGOs hold of their clients and stakeholders, make them
very susceptible to cyber attacks. As such, there is the need to educate
and train staff in the NGO space on cybersecurity best practices.”
“Very
soon, donors and sponsors are likely to stop sponsoring or working with
non-profits who do not have cybersecurity resilience plan. Non-profits must
plan, prevent and insure their organizations against cyber attacks” he added.
The CRS hub project is a 5-year
project being co-led by the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) and
Space for Change (S4C) in Nigeria with support from Ford Foundation. It is
being implemented in three countries in West Africa- Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal.
The CSR-Hub aims to build the
capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) and reposition the third sector
to effectively respond to emerging and longstanding challenges to civic space
and democratic governance in the region, and to deliver on their mandates and
development objectives effectively. The project specifically supports grantee
organisations in developing organisational and thematic competencies through
capacity building, learning and lesson sharing, and technical support to
enhance the relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency of participating CSOs.
The CSR-Hub has four strategic
pillars of focus; Civic Space Protection, Governance and Regulatory Compliance,
Digital Security and Protection, and Resource Mobilisation and Financial
Resilience.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
