News

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has conducted a cybersecurity awareness training for newly ordained ministers at the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra.

The session aimed at equipping the ministers with essential knowledge to navigate the evolving digital landscape safely, particularly in the context of online evangelism.

Officials from the CSA, Mrs. Mary Ama Bawa, Mr. Kofi Osam and Mrs. Cynthia Maku Dassinor facilitated the training.

Mrs. Cynthia Maku Dassinor emphasised that while the internet enables churches to reach broader audiences through platforms like seeker sites and newsletters, it also exposes them to cyber threats such as phishing, malware, data breaches, and website defacement. Mrs. Dassinor provided practical tips for identifying phishing attempts, including scrutinising messages with urgent requests, suspicious attachments, or "too good to be true" offers.

Mrs. Mary Ama Bawa addressed the risks of sextortion and sexting, particularly their impact on pastors and congregations. She highlighted that these threats could lead to reputational damage, legal consequences, and financial losses. She further advised the participants to adopt strong passwords with alphanumeric and special characters, avoid sharing sensitive information, and enable multi-factor authentication on digital platforms.

The session featured an interactive question-and-answer segment, where a participant raised concerns about data collection without consent. Mr. Kofi Osam explained that applications often gather data in the background when users grant permissions without doing the necessary due diligence. The congregation was therefore advised to grant only relevant permissions to apps and to review Terms and Conditions carefully before accepting them.

The session was concluded with a practical demonstration where participants were shown how to verify email accounts and assess the strength of their passwords.

Rev. Dr. Kofi Amoateng, Faculty Lecturer at the Trinity Theological Seminary, in a closing remark, expressed gratitude for the training. He announced the Seminary’s intention to collaborate further with the CSA for additional sessions to build on their knowledge and skills.