Accra: The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has organised a capacity-building workshop for members of Vice-Chancellors' Ghana (VCG) in Accra to strengthen cybersecurity leadership and resilience within Ghana's tertiary education sector. The event aimed to bolster the cybersecurity framework of educational institutions amidst rising digital threats.
According to Ghana News Agency, the workshop was conducted in collaboration with the Shadowserver Foundation and the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), aiming to enhance the understanding of the evolving cybersecurity landscape affecting higher education institutions. Dr. Jamal Seidu Tozua, acting Deputy Director-General of the CSA in charge of regulatory operations, opened the workshop on behalf of Director General Mr. Divine Selase Agbeti. He highlighted the increasing cybersecurity risks facing educational institutions and emphasized the necessity for robust cyber hygiene practices across universities.
Dr. Tozua urged Vice-Chancellors to reinforce the technical capacity of their IT departments and enhance collaboration with the National Computer Emergency Response Team of Ghana (CERT-GH) to mitigate institutional exposure to cyber risks. He also called for the establishment of an Education Sector Computer Response Team (CERT) to facilitate coordinated threat detection, response, and information sharing within the sector. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of engaging only licensed and accredited cybersecurity providers when procuring cybersecurity services.
The CSA is working with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to integrate cybersecurity as a vital component of Ghana's higher education system. Dr. Tozua mentioned ongoing initiatives with GTEC, including the development of a National Cybersecurity Competency and Qualification Framework to create a structured learning pathway from foundational cyber literacy to advanced professional certification.
Mr. Jerry Sarfo, Director of Corporate Affairs at GTEC, speaking on behalf of the Director-General, noted that the tertiary education sector had become an attractive target for cybercriminals due to the vast amounts of sensitive data managed by universities. He urged institutions to foster a culture of cyber resilience on their campuses.
The training sessions, facilitated by officers from the CSA, the Shadowserver Foundation, and FIRST, covered emerging cyber threats affecting educational institutions, such as online fraud, impersonation, phishing, unauthorized access, and data exposure on the dark web. The CSA also shared key vulnerabilities identified within the education sector.
A tabletop simulation exercise was conducted where university leadership teams responded to a ransomware attack scenario, designed to test leadership coordination, crisis decision-making, and incident response readiness. Chair of Vice-Chancellors' Ghana, Prof. Richard Kwasi Amankwah, commended the CSA for the engagement and advocated for sustained collaboration between the Authority and tertiary institutions.