Government partners with foreign companies to counter hackers

By Peter Ochieng

The government is partnering with various global companies, among them Google and Microsoft to counter hackers.

The partnership is being affected through the Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology and Digital Economy, under Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo.

This week, Owalo, admitted that a group calling itself Anonymous Sudan unsuccessfully tried to hack the government’s E-Citizen platform, crippling service delivery for over two days.

The Ministry in a joint statement with the companies said the partnership seeks to thwart future attempts at hacking key government installations and platforms.

Oracle Technologies, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Huawei Technologies and Dell Technologies are among the other companies to have been tapped for the role.

"Through this collaboration, the private sector will assist the government in closing the cybersecurity skills gap by providing training and expertise to government agencies,” reads the joint statement in part.

"We 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 our collective cyber hygiene as a country.”

As such, new policy frameworks and regulations will be developed to ensure the partnership is effective.

"The private sector brings 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.”

Kenya Power, Kenya Railways and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), are among state agencies expected to benefit from the partnership.

However, section of Kenyans who responded to the partnership deal wondered why Information Technology (IT) were not consulted.

“Why not consult IT Gurus like Dr. Shem Ochuodho, founder of African Regional Centre for Computing, and Chairman of Kenyans in the Diaspora?" pondered Wilson Omol.