Over 5,000 Ghanaians saved from cyber fraud - Dr Antwi Bosiako

Over five thousand Ghanaians were saved from cyber fraud between January to August this year, National Cyber Security Advisor, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako has said.

They survived various criminal attempts after exploring Government's Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Points of Contact (PoC), Dr Albert Antwi Bosiako said.

The PoC was launched by the Vice President, H. E. Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in October 2018 as part of efforts to ensure cybersecurity fot the country.

At the Cybersecurity Roundtable Forum impact of covid-19 on the country's digitalisation agenda, he reiterated Government's commitment to continuously engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the resilience of Ghana’s digital ecosystem, touting the effectiveness of PoC.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the PoC for Cybersecurity Incidents Reporting which was launched in 2019 by the Minister for Communications to facilitate the reporting of cybersecurity incidents has become a national asset in view of its continuous impact on the ordinary citizen," Dr Antwi-Bosiako said in his welcome remarks.

"The PoC has saved over 5,000 Ghanaians from being defrauded between January and August of 2020 alone, as many people, during the period under review, called the PoC to seek guidance and advisory on resolving potential cybersecurity incidents including those who were nearly defrauded by cyber fraudsters as well as criminals who were exploiting COVID-19 related themes to target unsuspecting citizens."

According to the Ghana Police Service reports indicate that between 2016 and 2018, the country lost over US$200 million to recorded cyber crime cases, adding that more than half of these reported cases were linked to fraud.

Speaking at Monday's forum, Dr Antwi-Bosiako also revealed the 10 top cybersecurity incidents recorded in the country over the period.

"The threats Ghana faces are no different from other countries. Cyber Fraud, Publication of Non-Consensual Intimate Images, Misinformation, Phishing attacks, Online Impersonation and Identity Theft, Child Online Abuse, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and Ransomware attacks are among the top ten (10) cybersecurity incidents recorded by Ghana. "

"This information was compiled through reports received by the National Cyber Security Centre through the Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Points of Contact (PoC) and reports received from Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and institutions including the Criminal Investigation Department," he added.

The forume on Monday forms part of activities to mark the National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Read full statement below from Dr Albert Antwi Bosiako

Honourable Deputy Minister for Communications and MP for Awutu Senya West, Hon. George Nenyi Andah
The Director-General of National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Mr. Richard Okyere-Fosu
The Managing Director of the Ghana Post Company Limited, Mr James Kwofie
The Director-General of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, Dr. Michael Tanu
Members of the National Cyber Security Centre Technical Working Group
Representatives from the Ministry of Communications and other government agencies
Representative from Cal Bank, our major sponsor
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Permit me to express my appreciation to the leadership of this critical sector – the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector - for the leadership and guidance over the past three and half years. Our appreciation goes to the President, H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for his leadership, wisdom and commitment to build a digital economy. My appreciation goes to the Minister for Communications and MP for Ablekuma West, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and her two able Deputy Ministers, Hon. George Andah, who is delivering the keynote address this morning and Hon. Alexander Abban, for their unflinching support to the National Cyber Security Centre. Of course, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful established the National Cyber Security Centre in 2018 so there is no doubt about her commitment to our work but above all the development of Ghana’s cybersecurity.
We appreciate the political commitment which has also brought a number of private sector and international partners on board for the development of Ghana’s cybersecurity.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has occasioned a certain shift, from physical interactions and engagements to an increased reliance on digital platforms. This movement has been motivated by the necessary imposition of certain measures which restricted movement and limited access to physical spaces and contacts. Consequently, ICT has become the heartbeat of various forms of interactions and activities in this era and countries around the world, have deployed diverse ICT tools to respond to the demands of the time. The session today is expected to investigate and explore the diverse areas COVID-19 has impacted on our digitalization efforts.
Ladies and gentlemen, as the world witnesses a surge in the use of ICT tools and a consequent increase in interactions in the digital ecosystem, it is imperative that attention is given to the threats end users face online. The increasing use of IT infrastructure should be complemented by adequate measures to protect users from potential cyber-attacks. The threats Ghana faces are no different from other countries. Cyber Fraud, Publication of Non-Consensual Intimate Images, Misinformation, Phishing attacks, Online Impersonation and Identity Theft, Child Online Abuse, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and Ransomware attacks are among the top ten (10) cybersecurity incidents recorded by Ghana. This information was compiled through reports received by the National Cyber Security Centre through the Cybercrime/Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Points of Contact (PoC) and reports received from Sectoral Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and institutions including the Criminal Investigation Department.
In view of the cybersecurity threats faced by Ghana, the National Cyber Security Centre has undertaken a number of initiatives under the direction of the Ministry of Communications. These include the revision of Ghana’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy to provide strategic guidance and roadmap for Ghana’s cybersecurity; the development of the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) ecosystem including the establishment of a Security Operations Centre, to secure IT systems of the MDAs, which will be launched later in the month; the introduction of a Cybersecurity Bill to further strengthen the legal regime for Ghana’s cybersecurity development including the protection of Critical Information Infrastructure; the implementation of the Safer Digital Ghana programme which was launched by the Vice President, H. E. Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the launch of the PoC for Incident Reporting.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the PoC for Cybersecurity Incidents Reporting which was launched in 2019 by the Minister for Communications to facilitate the reporting of cybersecurity incidents has become a national asset in view of its continuous impact on the ordinary citizen. The PoC has saved over 5,000 Ghanaians from being defrauded between January and August of 2020 alone, as many people, during the period under review, called the PoC to seek guidance and advisory on resolving potential cybersecurity incidents including those who were nearly defrauded by cyber fraudsters as well as criminals who were exploiting COVID-19 related themes to target unsuspecting citizens.
I am therefore encouraging the public to seek for the necessary guidance and advisory from the National Cyber Security Centre to prevent falling victim to cybercrimes. Please speak to our PoC Officers on 292 before you part with the money, as your online transaction may be fraud!
The National Cyber Security Centre will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the resilience of Ghana’s digital ecosystem. Let me also take the opportunity to urge businesses to actively support employees to develop a safer cyber culture through awareness creation, education, and training programmes.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, your presence here and participation in today’s event, is reflective of our joint commitment to the overall cybersecurity development of the nation. I therefore encourage us all to continue to support Government and the private sector as we seek to consolidate our efforts towards securing Ghana’s digital journey, especially in this era of COVID-19.
Thank you.