Government Collaborates with Private Sector to Tackle Cyber Threats

Nairobi

Saturday, July 29, 2023

KNA by Bernadette Khaduli

Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has brought together a multi-stakeholder cybersecurity roundtable where members will discuss cyber threats management in the evolving landscape.

The membership that will be drawn from the public and private sectors due to the complexity and scale of the recent cyber incidents that happened in the country will play pivotal role in safeguarding the country against cyber threats.

The team intends to enhance collaboration with multinational organizations and other governments in order to enhance the sharing of cyber threat information, track cross-border cybercriminals, and participate in the establishment of global norms for responsible and ethical behavior in cyberspace.  

According to a joint press statement issued today by the government jointly with Cisco Systems, Serianu, Dell Technologies, Google, Oracle Technologies, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Huawei Technologies, Microsoft, Oracle Technologies, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Safaricom, Tata Communications and TESPOK the collaboration between the two will form a powerful alliance that can effectively address cyber risks.

The collaboration is vital as the private sector will bring innovation, agility, and specialized knowledge, while the public sector which drives the digital transformation possesses the regulatory authority and broader understanding of national security concerns. 

According to the statement, the cooperation between the two sectors cyber security management aims to foster information sharing, skills and resources, policy, frameworks and regulation, public awareness and education, global community, and Public-Private cyber exercises. 

 “Through proactive sharing of information on emerging cyber threats and vulnerabilities, cyber threat intelligence as well as cybersecurity best practices it will enable swift cyber incident response and mitigation strategies,” said the statement.

It also stated that through skills and resources, the private sector will assist government in closing the cybersecurity skills gap by providing training and expertise to government agencies through provision of critical expertise to aide in the cyber incidents response and recovery processes.

Through the roundtable the two sectors will collaborate on cyber security policy and regulation development, so as to enable effective cybersecurity measures that protect both the public and private sectors, while also ensuring compliance with legal frameworks. 

It added, “this will include the development and implementation of a comprehensive cybersecurity framework that covers both public and private sector entities. This framework will be regularly updated to adapt to emerging threats.” 

Through public awareness and education, the multi-stakeholders shall undertake joint efforts in promoting cyber awareness and cyber education initiatives that empower individuals and organizations to adopt cyber security best practices, thereby enhancing their collective cyber hygiene as a country.

“This collaboration, shall organize joint cyber drill exercises and cyber simulations to test incident response capabilities of organizations in public and private sector in the country, and enhance coordination during a cyber crisis,” said the statement.

Kenya’s digital transformation has enabled extraordinary progress in various aspects of the lives of citizenry as they are able to access government services, and thrive in the global arena which has made a positive social economic impact in communities.

The government has prioritized the collaboration between the private and public sectors due to malicious actors who are constantly on the lookout to exploit vulnerabilities in the country’s digital systems, targeting critical infrastructure to personal data, posing a risk to national security, economy, and societal well-being.

The ever-evolving cyber threats landscape demands constant vigilance and adaptability, a need that has the private sector and public sector to pull their resources and expertise, to strengthen defenses against the increasing cyber-attacks, and enhance collective cyber readiness and resilience.

Courtesy ; K. N. A