Africa requires major boost to enhance cybersecurity measures

A recently published white paper has highlighted the urgent need for Africa to strengthen its cybersecurity resilience and adopt a proactive approach to address the growing scale of cyber threats on the continent. The paper, titled “Cybersecurity in Africa: A Call to Action,” emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive agenda to facilitate Africa’s seamless transition into the digital economy.

Authored by global management consultancy Kearney, the paper outlines a four-point agenda to tackle the core challenges faced by Africa’s cybersecurity landscape. The agenda includes elevating cybersecurity on the regional policy agenda, ensuring sustained commitment to cybersecurity, fortifying the cybersecurity ecosystem, and building the next generation of cybersecurity capabilities.

According to Rob van Dale, a Partner at Kearney, cybersecurity programs often adopt a fragmented approach that fails to address vulnerabilities that extend beyond individual companies. He emphasizes the need for coordinated efforts to defend against sophisticated attacks that target multiple entities simultaneously.

While the African Union (AU) has taken steps to enhance cybersecurity collaboration through the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, the paper suggests that a stronger coordination mechanism is required. Currently, the legal framework has been signed by 16 out of 55 member countries and ratified by thirteen, indicating the need for broader participation.

The white paper also highlights Africa’s increasing attractiveness as a target for cyber threats, citing the region’s expanding internet access and projected mobile penetration exceeding 90% this year. Despite forecasts of significant investment in the region’s cybersecurity market, estimated at $3.7 billion by 2025, Africa continues to suffer annual losses of over $3.5 billion due to cyberattacks and missed business opportunities resulting from reputational damage.

While a few African countries have already developed national cybersecurity strategies, the paper emphasizes the urgency to accelerate and harmonize cybersecurity policies across the region. Van Dale underscores the need to prioritize cybersecurity in regional and national policy agendas, elevating it to the top of discussions within regional economic dialogues to ensure alignment within the AU.

The white paper serves as a clarion call for Africa to enhance its cyber resilience, overcome existing challenges, and establish a robust cybersecurity framework to protect its digital future and unlock the continent’s potential for economic growth and innovation.