By: Van
Soul Addey
Ethiopia’s Information
Network Security Administration (INSA) has launched the seventh National
Cybersecurity Month under the theme “Aware Citizen for a Secure Nation,” with
Director General Tigist Hamid stressing the need to build resilient national
cybersecurity capacity to support the country’s Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy.
The commemoration officially
commenced on Tikimit 2, 2019 E.C., and will run throughout the month with
interactive events aimed at strengthening cybersecurity awareness among the
public and enterprises.
“To bring the Digital
Ethiopia 2030 strategy to life, building a resilient national cybersecurity
potential is imperative,” Mrs. Hamid said.
In her opening remarks,
Hamid said cyberattacks were expanding, mutating and becoming increasingly
complex and dangerous. She warned that attacks targeting critical
infrastructure could trigger social, economic and political crises.
She added that Ethio-CERT
had identified, responded to and reported more than 71,000 cyberattacks in 2018
E.C.
Hamid said INSA was
undertaking initiatives to safeguard Ethiopia’s digital sovereignty through
cyber talent development, the endorsement and standardisation of proclamations
and regulations, and the development of home-grown technologies.
These efforts include the
Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Protection Proclamation and the
development of Public Key Infrastructure.
During the month, each week
will focus on a different sub-theme: Children’s Internet Protection in the
first week, artificial intelligence in the second, Cybersecurity Readiness to
Actualize Digital Ethiopia 2030 in the third, and Resilience of Critical Infrastructures
to Withstand Cyberattacks in the fourth.
Hamid said technological
advances alone could not guarantee security without public awareness of
cybersecurity measures.
She invited stakeholders and
citizens to participate in panel discussions, exhibitions, training sessions
and awareness-creation activities throughout the month, emphasising the
importance of national responsibility in strengthening Ethiopia’s cybersecurity.
