July 2018 will be a year of change; Kenya is set on hosting the first African Cyber Defense Summit and plans on developing strategies to answer back to cyber-security threats in the continent.
Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) claimed that this continental Summit would be crucial in tackling encounters of securing Africa from breaches and attacks that might be vulnerable to Information, Communication and Technology.
Global ICT industry players and the government will be a part of this summit. The government is arranging this summit with support from the African Union and the International Telecommunication Union in corporation with African Cyberspace Network, NASEBA.
Kenya is one of the most linked up countries in Africa and has 78% broadband connectivity. Therefore, this means that it is likely vulnerable to increasing the number of security threats from around the globe.
ICT Secretary Dr. Kate Getao said that, “There are discussions on need to establish Pan African Cyber security Research Institute in Kenya to build high-level skill and knowledge institutional capacity and innovation for enhanced cyber security across Africa.”
She further adds saying that the proposed institute would also provide real time data and repository.
She claims that Africa must have a Cyber Research institute because this continent has invested tremendously in the Information, Communication and Technology Sector. She says that,
“The need for an Institute is provoked by shortage of high-level skill human resource, vulnerability of the supply chain and internal and external threats cyberspace to breaches.”
She said that investing in cyber-security as well as the policy and legislative frameworks encourages investors to invest in the continent.
Another ICT officer claims that the draft on information security policy is developed in order to protect private as well as public ICT assets.
The Summit is scheduled to be held on July 9th and 10th 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya.
