By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Tanzania has intensified
efforts to strengthen its national cybersecurity readiness following the
successful completion of the National Cyber Drill 2026, a five-day simulation
exercise designed to enhance incident response capabilities across critical sectors.
The exercise, conducted at
PAPU Towers in Arusha, was organised by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory
Authority (TCRA) through the Tanzania Computer Emergency Response Team
(TZ-CERT) in partnership with the e-Government Authority (eGA).
Held under the theme “Enhancing
National Cyber Resilience Through Effective Incident Response,” the national
simulation brought together cybersecurity experts from key sectoral Computer
Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), including the Financial CERT (TZ-FinCERT),
Government CERT involving eGA, eGSoC and eGAZ, the Defence CERT (D-CERT), and
academia.
The drill comes as
Tanzania’s digital ecosystem continues to expand, with internet subscriptions
reaching 62.7 million as of June 2026, increasing the importance of protecting
critical communications infrastructure and digital services from emerging cyber
threats.
The simulation focused on
improving coordination, response mechanisms, and preparedness among
cybersecurity stakeholders in managing potential cyber incidents affecting
critical systems.
TCRA said the initiative
forms part of its mandate to strengthen cybersecurity capacity and promote a
secure digital environment that supports economic growth, innovation, and
public confidence in online services.
The exercise is expected to
contribute to the protection of financial systems, including mobile money and
banking platforms, while supporting business continuity by ensuring essential
digital government services remain operational during cyber incidents.
