Kenya continues to experience rapid digital transformation that has spurred the country’s socio-economic development, supported by robust policy, legal, and regulatory frameworks, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Director General, David Mugonyi has said.
Over time, he noted that the number, sophistication, and severity of cyberattacks against Kenya’s vital information infrastructure sectors have exponentially risen.
“In the fiscal year ended June 2024, there were more than 3.5 billion attacks directed at the nation, with more than 90 per cent of these incidents exploiting system vulnerabilities,” he said.
The DG, who issued a statement as the Country joins the global community in observing the 2024 October Cybersecurity Awareness Month (OCSAM), noted that system vulnerabilities remain the weak link with increased use of Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, many of which are intrinsically unsafe.
Other weaknesses, he added, include incorrect set-up of systems, outdated software, and the changes brought about by emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
OCSAM is a collaboration between the public and private sectors to raise awareness on cyber safety and cyber security by empowering the industry and consumers with the requisite knowledge, skills, and values to safeguard themselves online.
Mugonyi said that the Authority has in the past four years spearheaded national commemorations for OCSAM, through various initiatives geared at enhancing national cyber readiness and resilience.
The said activities, he added, bring together the critical information infrastructure sectors, industry leaders, academia, and the public to address emerging cyber security concerns and to drive a common front in combating cyber threats.
“The 2024 OCSAM takes place against the backdrop of Kenya’s Tier 1 ranking in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), and this global recognition demonstrates the country’s leadership, commitment, readiness, and resilience in cybersecurity,” Mugonyi said.
Kenya, he added, continues to seek strategic engagements in cross-cutting issues in cybersecurity governance, capacity and capability development, information sharing, and cyber incident response.
In commemoration of this year’s OCSAM, Mugonyi said that Kenya and the United States, in collaboration with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), plan to hold a regional event this October 2024 dubbed, “The African Regional Cyber Sector Collaboration Symposium” to engender information-sharing frameworks between cybersecurity incident response teams for a more resilient cyberspace in Africa.
“The 2024 OCSAM is therefore a rallying call to all our partners and stakeholders to join us in empowering our citizens by imparting cyber security knowledge, skills, and resources to engage securely online and to participate significantly in the vibrant global digital economy,” Mugonyi said.
The Communications Authority of Kenya is the regulatory agency for the ICT industry in Kenya, responsible for telecommunications, broadcasting, postal and courier services, cyber security, and e-commerce.
The Authority is also responsible for managing the country’s frequency spectrum and numbering resources, administering the Universal Service Fund (USF), and safeguarding the interests of consumers of ICT services.
By Wangari Ndirangu
