By: Van Soul Addey
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has marked its fifth anniversary
with a call for stronger collaboration across Ghana’s digital finance
ecosystem, urging institutions to move beyond broad commitments to
information-sharing and make coordinated cyber defence part of their daily
operations. The call was made at the official opening of the 2026
National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) at the Cedi Conference Centre,
University of Ghana, under the theme ‘Securing Ghana’s Digital Finance
Ecosystem: Building Trust Through Collaboration and Cyber Resilience’.
Opening the month-long campaign, the Director-General of the CSA,
Mr. Divine Selase Agbeti, said Ghana’s rapid digital transformation had created
significant opportunities for economic growth, financial inclusion and
innovation, but had also expanded the opportunities available to
cybercriminals. “Ghana has made a deliberate choice to embrace digital
transformation. We must now make an equally deliberate choice to secure it,”
Mr. Agbeti said.
He stressed that protecting the country’s digital economy could not
be left to any single institution, calling for a coordinated response among
government, regulators, financial institutions, fintechs, telecommunications
companies, technology firms, law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity service
providers. “The government cannot do it alone. The Cyber Security Authority
cannot do it alone. Banks cannot do it alone. Fintechs cannot do it alone.
Telecommunications companies cannot do it alone. Cybersecurity is a team sport
and Ghana must play as one team,” he said.
Mr. Agbeti called on financial institutions to share actionable
threat intelligence, telecommunications companies to deepen cooperation with
banks and fintechs, and regulators, technology companies, law enforcement
agencies and cybersecurity service providers to exchange information quickly
enough to disrupt attacks before they result in financial losses.
Rising cyber threats
The urgency of the call is reflected in data from the national
Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), coordinated by the CSA, which recorded
3,876 cybersecurity incidents between January and July 2026. Online fraud
accounted for approximately 47 percent of the reported incidents.
Mr. Agbeti said the impact of cybercrime extended beyond the
immediate financial loss suffered by victims, with repeated incidents capable
of undermining public confidence in digital services. “When a Ghanaian loses
money to cyber fraud, we lose more than money. We lose confidence,” he said,
noting that declining confidence in digital platforms could affect financial
inclusion, electronic commerce, innovation and the wider digital transformation
agenda.
The Director-General also stressed that cyber risk must be treated
as a business and national security issue rather than solely as a technology
concern. “Cybersecurity must not remain buried somewhere in the technology
department. Cyber risk is business risk,” he said, urging boards, chief
executives and senior leaders to take direct ownership of cyber risk and
regularly assess their organisations’ preparedness.
“How quickly can we detect an intrusion? How quickly can we contain
it? If our systems fail tonight, can we continue operating tomorrow morning? Do
we know which third parties have access to our critical systems and data? And
when the attack eventually comes, have we practised our response, or are we
simply hoping our technology will save us?” he asked.
Strengthening collective defence
The opening brought together representatives of the Ministry of
Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ministry of the Interior,
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Bank of Ghana and University of
Ghana, alongside stakeholders from industry, academia and civil society.
Speaking on behalf of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr.
Johnson Pandit Asiama, the Head of Cyber and Information Security, Mr. Daniel
Sowah Klu, said the central bank had revised its Cyber and Information Security
Directive, established a digital forensic laboratory to support investigations
and prosecutions, and was developing an industry-wide fraud intelligence hub.
The Deputy Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and
Innovations, Hon. Mohammed Adams Sukparu, representing the Minister, Hon.
Samuel Nartey George, announced plans for a digital fraud monitoring system to
strengthen the detection, prevention and response to fraudulent activities
across digital platforms.
The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey
Terlabi, representing the Minister, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, said the
digital environment had become an increasingly important component of Ghana’s
national security landscape and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to
strengthening law enforcement capacity to trace digital evidence and pursue
offenders across borders.
The University of Ghana, in remarks delivered on behalf of the
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, pledged continued support
through cybersecurity research, professional training and the development of
skilled cybersecurity professionals.
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla
Dzifa Gomashie, highlighted the potential impact of cyber fraud targeting
visitors on Ghana’s reputation and tourism sector. The ceremony also featured
the unveiling of a commemorative digital plaque marking the CSA’s fifth
anniversary.
Mr. Agbeti said the Authority would continue working with law
enforcement, intelligence, regulatory and international partners to strengthen
Ghana’s ability to identify, investigate and disrupt cyber-enabled crime. “Technology
may allow criminals to cross borders. It does not place them beyond
accountability,” he said.
Public vigilance remains critical
The CSA reminded citizens that cybersecurity begins with individual
action and urged the public to pause before clicking links in messages or
emails; verify details before transferring money; protect passwords and
one-time authentication codes; and question unexpected requests for money, even
when the voice, message or image appears to come from someone they know.
The Authority also warned that advances in artificial intelligence
are making it increasingly difficult to rely solely on visual or audio cues
when verifying identities. “In the age of artificial intelligence, seeing is no
longer necessarily believing. Verification must become a habit,” Mr. Agbeti
said.
Members of the public can report cybersecurity incidents and
cybercrime to the CSA by calling or texting 292, or by email at report@csa.gov.gh. Throughout October, the Authority will work
with partners across the financial, telecommunications, public and academic
sectors to deliver cybersecurity awareness activities aimed at promoting safer
digital practices and strengthening resilience nationwide.
As the CSA enters its sixth year, Mr. Agbeti called for NCSAM 2026
to serve as a catalyst for deeper and more practical collaboration. “Let us
secure every transaction. Let us strengthen every institution. Let us protect
every citizen. And together, let us build a digital Ghana that our people can
trust,” he said.
