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Over 200 participants from 40 African Member States of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), including cybersecurity professionals, converged in Accra to engage in cyber drill exercises, aimed at enhancing cybersecurity readiness in the region.

The 2024 Regional CyberDrill which took place in Accra was hosted by Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority and organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in partnership with INTERPOL.

Addressing delegates at the opening, the Director General of Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, stressed the need for stronger partnerships between African states and international bodies to combat cybercrime and strengthen cyber resilience across the continent. “As experts in cybersecurity and digital transformation, we must address challenges head-on. A critical aspect of our approach is the relationship between incident response and international regulatory bodies”, he asserted.

He added that an effective incident response depended on coordinated efforts to ensure rapid and efficient management of cyber threats as he outlined the Cyber Security Authority’s ongoing efforts to secure Ghana's cyberspace, including the licensing of cybersecurity service providers and professionals.

Dr. Antwi-Boasiako noted the pivotal role Ghana’s partnerships with international organisations such as the INTERPOL and the ITU have played in advancing cybersecurity in Ghana and the wider African region.

The Director of International Affairs at the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, Mr. Kwame Baah-Acheamfuor, who represented the sector Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, lauded Ghana’s leadership in cybersecurity initiatives across Africa stressing that the significance of the CyberDrill was to test Africa's cybercrime response capabilities and called for sustained regional engagement.

“Participating in events like this complements our efforts towards incident response and coordination, allowing us to test and refine our operational procedures using realistic scenarios”, he stated.

The event was graced by several high-profile dignitaries, including Mr. Ali Drissa Badiel, Area Representative of the ITU Area Office for West Africa; Mr. Enrique Hernandez Gonzalez, Assistant Director of Cybercrime Operations at INTERPOL; and Mr. Charles Abani, the UN Resident Coordinator for Ghana.

It featured a series of technical and managerial workshops, and presentations on cybersecurity solutions with simulation exercises where participants were given hands-on experience in malware analysis and incident response through exercises facilitated by cyber experts.