News

Students of the Cybersecurity and Robotics Club of the Accra Girls Senior High School (AGISS) have paid an educational visit to the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) to acquaint themselves with the operations of the state regulator to gain insight into how the country protects its digital space as they seek careers on offer in the sector. The students were taken through the work of seven key units of the CSA with sessions covering critical information infrastructure protection, incidence response, cybercrime investigation, legal and compliance, capacity building and awareness creation, child online protection, and career opportunities in cybersecurity. Welcoming the students, the head of the Human Resources division of the CSA, Ms Sarah Owusu, told the students that cybersecurity was not only for people with technical backgrounds and that skills in research, psychology, law and compliance were also needed to tackle cyber threats.

She said professionals from all sectors could contribute to national cyber resilience and urged the students to stay focused during the session and make the most of the opportunity to learn about the sector.

Mr Eugene Sackey, from the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Unit of the CSA, explained that some systems were so important that their disruption could affect national security, public safety and the economy noting that the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), empowered the CSA to identify and protect such systems.

He added that Ghana had designated thirteen sectors as critical, including banking and finance, health, energy, water, education, food and agriculture, and information and communications technology.

Ms Melissah Mickson-Yeboah of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) said the unit worked 24/7 to detect, analyse and respond to cyber incidents. She said online fraud, blackmail and sextortion, social engineering, cyberbullying, AI-generated deepfake scams and brand impersonation were among the major incidents recorded in 2025.

She stated that online fraud alone accounted for losses of about GH¢22 million in 2025, with more than GH¢9 million lost between January and June 2026. She said the CSA had taken down over 120 fraudulent domains and links, removed 482 impersonating social media accounts and worked to remove AI-generated deepfake content, including fake scholarship announcements. She urged the students to report suspicious activities through the Authority’s channels: Call or SMS 292, WhatsApp 0501603111 or email report@csa.gov.gh.

On the enforcement front, an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration, Regina Atter Narkwor, who represented the Law Enforcement and Liaison Unit, said the unit investigated high-profile cybercrimes and worked with national and international agencies. She said investigators used open-source intelligence to monitor platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat explaining that digital forensics allowed them to recover deleted chat messages, images and call records from seized devices for use as evidence in court.

Turning to child online safety, Ms Jael Amponsah Bempah, Assistant Manager of the Child Online Protection Unit, said children faced risks such as online grooming, cyberbullying, sextortion and the unauthorised sharing of explicit material. She said research showed that four out of every ten children interacted with or accepted friend requests from strangers online with more than 60 per cent of surveyed senior high school students experiencing online abuse but did not report it for fear of stigma or lack of support.

She urged the students to take part in the upcoming National Cybersecurity Challenge, an annual competition for senior high schools across the country.

The President of the AGISS Cyber and Robotics Club, Ms. Matina Akomeah, thanked the Authority, describing the visit as eye-opening and useful. The students left with a clearer understanding of cyber threats, online safety, responsible digital behaviour and the many career paths available in cybersecurity.