CAK boss Ezra Chiloba warns of increased cyber attacks
Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) boss Ezra Chiloba has urged counties and state agencies to deploy cyber security experts to cushion themselves against cyber security threats.
This comes amid increased threats to Kenya’s security systems.
The country has recorded an estimated 7 million cyber attacks in a five-year period leading to May 2023.
This ranks Kenya as among the top three African countries under threat of cyber attacks behind South Africa and Nigeria.
A multi-agency team, Chiloba observed, had been formed to monitor risks and issue cyber security alerts to the players to act on.
“They happen on a daily basis but the question is what are we doing to mitigate and reduce the impact of these attacks? We are continuously monitoring these attacks and rendering advisory as we act on them,” said Mr Chiloba.
He warned that cyber security attacks tend to pose a serious threat to data and harm consumers who use the internet.
“As we tackle cyber security threats at the national level, counties must also see themselves as active players in this space. As they automate and digitize operations they must also think about cyber security,” said Mr Chiloba.
He added: “We want to encourage players in the different government agencies that have programs in the digital space that have a cyber-security professional to be able to advise and guide and ensure that the systems remain secure not only for the moment but for future.”
Last month, cyber security criminals made attempts on the e-citizen and other platforms, affecting access to the portals. ICT CS Eliud Owalo, however, said that no data was lost during the attack.
Mr Chiloba made remarks recently in Eldoret town where he awarded winners of the cyber security boot camp and Hackathon series in Western and North Rift editions.
A total of 60,000 university students expressed their interest in the contest held in five regions; Nairoi, Nyeri, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu.
“This is the best way of inducting young minds into the cyber security space. We hope that at the end of the exercise when we converge in Naivasha on October 16 we hope that we will get the best products as far as cyber security is concerned,” said the CAK boss.
In the month of October, Kenya will join the global community to raise awareness of cyber safety and empower consumers with the skills and values to protect themselves in the cyberspace.
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