The Regional Cybersecurity Summit for Africa kicked off in Kampala on November 20, 2023.
Co-hosted by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the Uganda Computer Emergency Response Team (UG-CERT), with support from AfricaCERT and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the summit spans from November 20 to November 23.
The summit aims to facilitate the exchange of best practices, experiences, and lessons learned regarding security baselines for digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.
It provides a crucial platform for cybersecurity experts in the Africa region to strengthen their readiness, resilience, and coordination in response to safeguarding critical infrastructure and addressing emerging threats in the cybersecurity landscape.
Eng Irene Kaggwa-Sewankambo, the Ag. Executive Director of UCC, emphasized the growing importance of cybersecurity in the interconnected global landscape. She highlighted the need to safeguard sensitive data, fortify critical infrastructure, and enhance trust in digital transactions.
She said the summit serves as a platform for experts to address emerging cybersecurity threats, focusing on assessing cyber resilience, particularly in critical infrastructure and application security for digital financial services.
Eng Kaggwa-Sewankambo stressed the significance of global collaboration to effectively tackle cybersecurity challenges, considering the interconnected nature of today’s world.
“Whereas growth in digital finance is welcome, this also broadens the scope for cyber criminals to exploit vulnerabilities in the digital financial services (DFS) ecosystem, potentially leading to financial and reputational loss and erosion of public confidence in these services,” she said.
The government’s significant investment in ICT infrastructure and the creation of a robust legal and regulatory framework were highlighted.
Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap emphasizes five critical pillars, with Pillar Three focusing on Cybersecurity, Data Protection, and Privacy to ensure the safety, security, and trustworthiness of digital services.