Kenya calls for united African front against rising cyberthreats as regional forum opens in Nairobi
Kenya has called for joint mitigation efforts against cyberthreats in Africa as the challenge continues to rise amid a deepening internet penetration on the continent.
Speaking during the opening of the 3rd African forum on cybercrime and electronic evidence in Nairobi, Internal Security PS Raymond Omollo noted that while, the digital era has unlocked immemse opportunities for nations and their citizens, connected people, expanded trade, broadened access to learning and brought critical services closer to thepeople in ways unimaginable just a decade ago, it has also brought a fair share of challenges that have exposed states to vulnerabilities like never witnessed before.
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In Kenya, for example, the move to digitise government services has seen about 40 million smartphones gain access to nearly all platforms on which the services are provided.
With a median age of 19, Kenya's youth are among the most connected on the continent.
Dr Omollo, however, noted that, on the downside of this progress, many underestimate the broader risks of digital platforms, data harvesting, and cyber threats hence the need for urgent measures in awareness, education, and online protection to safeguard Gen Z and Gen Alpha from identity theft, exploitation, and misinformation as they become the largest and most vulnerable digital consumers.
"Here in Kenya, our digital ecosystem is expanding at an extraordinary speed. We are now ranked amongst the 10 fastest-growing digital economies in the world. However, Kenya, like many other nations, has witnessed a rise in sophisticated cyber-enabled offences, financial fraud, ransomware, online child exploitation, disinformation, as well as cyber terrorism. Our e-governance platforms have equally been targeted, some incidents as recent as last week," the PS said, adding that Africa loses more than $4 billion annually to cybercrime.
The cost of attacks includes not only a weakening of economies but also dips the trust in digital systems and increases vulnerabilities for governments, businesses, as well as citizens and more so when attacks happen across borders.
"These threats are borderless. A cyber incident originating thousands of miles away can destabilise institutions here at home within seconds if not minutes. This makes one point undeniable, that our response must be coordinated, international and sustained. We must be able to strengthen our collective capacity to detect, deter and prosecute cyberthreats while safeguarding the integrity of digital platforms across our borders," he urged.
Dr Omollo further cautioned over the growing threat of anonymity across cyberspace, which he said continues to impede investigations, frustrate accountability and complicate the presentation of digital material before courts of law.
"We must therefore explore innovative but rights-respecting solutions such as secure digital identity systems that protect privacy without harmful anonymity. When properly designed, such systems can protect user safety while enabling lawful tracing of malicious activity without compromising on civil liberties or human rights," he said.
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