Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority is sounding the alarm over the growing hostility of cyberspace, warning that institutions of higher education are not doing enough to protect the vast amounts of data they hold.
But according to the Deputy Director of the Ghana Cyber Security Authority, Dr. Jamal Tonzua, this valuable data is dangerously exposed. Speaking at a training workshop in Wa for alumni of the German Academic Exchange Service, he called on institutions to take data protection seriously.
“for instance Universities that have up to about eighty thusand to one hundred thusand students and faculty members, that in its self comes with a lot of personal data for members of the accademic community…and ther sensitive data that makes them vulnurable or atracrive targets for malesius threat actors whre are int ransomeware” He added.
He said the volume of personal data, intellectual property from research, and confidential administrative records within our universities makes them a prime target.
The workshop, aimed at creating a culture of cybersecurity in higher education, drew attention to both the challenges and opportunities in the digital space.
Dr. Philip Ania, the workshop convener and a lecturer at SDD-UBIDS, warned that our personal phones and devices make us more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. He stressed that cybersecurity responsibility now extends far beyond the server room.
“Now people have investments, people store their money or make their investments on mobile money and internet banking, and we do a lot of electronic transactions, so if we don’t safeguard the online space, coming forward a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money through these cyber attacks” Dr. Philip Ania said.
The entire two-day programme was, however, streamed for an online audience who joined the programme from a distance at B-ZAR TV on Facebook
