Namibian team gets ready to combat online crimes
Cybersecurity strategy advances
Namibia's cybersecurity space will receive a boost with the launch of the CSIRT at the end of the year.
The information and communication technology ministry has confirmed that the National Security and Cyber Incident Response Team (CSIRT) will be operational by the end of the year.
CSIRT forms part of a comprehensive national cybersecurity plan that has been in effect since 2022. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry launched the national cybersecurity strategy and awareness plan for 2022 to 2027, which is divided into two parts: the national cybersecurity strategy and the cybersecurity awareness plan.
This strategy outlines the ministry’s plans for a secure cyberspace for Namibians and also proposes measures to strengthen critical infrastructure in light of the increasing cyberattacks in recent years.
The ministry cited findings from various sources as the background against which the national cybersecurity strategy was developed.
Security
Kaspersky.com ranked Namibia 119th among countries experiencing cyberattacks in March 2020.
The ministry said the most common cyberattacks at that time were crypto-related attacks, mobile cyberattacks and ransomware attacks. The most common targets for cyberattacks were the education sector, government institutions and the communications sector.
“Technological platforms must be protected, and the most vulnerable must be made aware of and educated about the dangers of the internet,” the national cybersecurity strategy document states.
The African Union Commission also released a report investigating cyberthreats in Africa. Smartphones and the internet, crypto ransomware and social mechanisms used by cybercriminals to deceive victims into revealing sensitive information were identified as major threats in the report.
Access
By the time the cybersecurity strategy was developed, Namibia had more than 2.7 million active mobile users, with internet usage reaching 96% of Namibians and 3G broadband connectivity available to 75% of the population.
A United Nations survey showed that the use of mobile devices exceeded 100%, meaning there were more devices in use than the population. The ministry attributed this to the affordability of mobile devices in Namibia and access to mobile services.
Between 2016 and 2018, the use of wireless broadband in Namibia grew from 32.4% of the population to 64.9% – above average for sub-Saharan Africa, where an average of 39% of the population had access to this broadband during the same period. During this time, the number of internet users in Namibia more than doubled, from 14.84% of the population to 31.03%.
Labour
The 2018 Namibian Labour Force Survey showed that employment in the information and communication technology sector had grown by 20% since 2016.
The survey also showed that at the time it was the fourth-highest-paying sector in the country. However, in 2019, the sector contributed only 1.4% to the gross domestic product.
The ministry also found a gender pay gap in this sector. Men earned an average of N$17 192 compared to women, who earned an average of N$16 967.
– [email protected]
CSIRT forms part of a comprehensive national cybersecurity plan that has been in effect since 2022. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry launched the national cybersecurity strategy and awareness plan for 2022 to 2027, which is divided into two parts: the national cybersecurity strategy and the cybersecurity awareness plan.
This strategy outlines the ministry’s plans for a secure cyberspace for Namibians and also proposes measures to strengthen critical infrastructure in light of the increasing cyberattacks in recent years.
The ministry cited findings from various sources as the background against which the national cybersecurity strategy was developed.
Security
Kaspersky.com ranked Namibia 119th among countries experiencing cyberattacks in March 2020.
The ministry said the most common cyberattacks at that time were crypto-related attacks, mobile cyberattacks and ransomware attacks. The most common targets for cyberattacks were the education sector, government institutions and the communications sector.
“Technological platforms must be protected, and the most vulnerable must be made aware of and educated about the dangers of the internet,” the national cybersecurity strategy document states.
The African Union Commission also released a report investigating cyberthreats in Africa. Smartphones and the internet, crypto ransomware and social mechanisms used by cybercriminals to deceive victims into revealing sensitive information were identified as major threats in the report.
Access
By the time the cybersecurity strategy was developed, Namibia had more than 2.7 million active mobile users, with internet usage reaching 96% of Namibians and 3G broadband connectivity available to 75% of the population.
A United Nations survey showed that the use of mobile devices exceeded 100%, meaning there were more devices in use than the population. The ministry attributed this to the affordability of mobile devices in Namibia and access to mobile services.
Between 2016 and 2018, the use of wireless broadband in Namibia grew from 32.4% of the population to 64.9% – above average for sub-Saharan Africa, where an average of 39% of the population had access to this broadband during the same period. During this time, the number of internet users in Namibia more than doubled, from 14.84% of the population to 31.03%.
Labour
The 2018 Namibian Labour Force Survey showed that employment in the information and communication technology sector had grown by 20% since 2016.
The survey also showed that at the time it was the fourth-highest-paying sector in the country. However, in 2019, the sector contributed only 1.4% to the gross domestic product.
The ministry also found a gender pay gap in this sector. Men earned an average of N$17 192 compared to women, who earned an average of N$16 967.
– [email protected]
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