By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The sustainability and
effectiveness of national cybersecurity incident response teams in
resource-constrained environments took center stage at the FIRST Conference
2026, where experts from across the globe gathered to discuss strategies for
strengthening cyber resilience.
During a panel session
titled “Tips and Tricks to Run a CSIRT in Low-income and Fragile Contexts,”
Palakiyem Assih, Director of CERT.tg and Chief Technology Officer of Cyber
Defense Africa (CDA), joined cybersecurity leaders from the World Bank,
Mozambique, Namibia and FIRST to share experiences and practical approaches to
managing national cybersecurity response capabilities.
The discussion focused on a
growing reality facing many countries: establishing a Computer Security
Incident Response Team (CSIRT) is no longer the primary challenge. Instead,
governments and institutions are increasingly concerned with maintaining operational
effectiveness, developing technical capabilities, retaining skilled
professionals and responding efficiently to cyber incidents despite financial
and resource constraints.
Drawing from Togo’s
experience, Assih highlighted the importance of adopting a long-term approach
to cybersecurity development. He noted that cyber resilience extends beyond
technology investments and depends on a combination of effective governance,
local expertise, strategic planning and collaboration between public and
private sector stakeholders.
The Togolese model,
presented during the panel, emphasized the role of sustainable operational
frameworks and partnerships in supporting the long-term growth and
effectiveness of national cybersecurity institutions. According to the
discussions, a viable economic model is also critical to ensuring that CSIRTs
can continue delivering essential services while adapting to evolving cyber
threats.
Experts at the session
agreed that countries operating in low-income and fragile contexts must focus
on building local capacity and strengthening institutional foundations to
improve their ability to prevent, detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents.
The participation of CERT.tg
and Cyber Defense Africa at the conference reflects Togo’s continued efforts to
advance its national cybersecurity agenda and contribute to global discussions
on building resilient digital ecosystems.
FIRST Conference 2026
brought together cybersecurity professionals, policymakers, incident response
teams and industry leaders from around the world to exchange knowledge and
strengthen international cooperation in addressing emerging cyber threats.
