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Kenya pledges robust legal framework to boost cyber-security

Xinhua, May 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Kenya's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in conjunction with the judiciary and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) are fine tuning a set of laws and regulations to boost security in cyberspace, officials said on Tuesday

Principal Secretary in the ministry of ICT, Sammy Itemere said development of a sound legal framework is key to strengthen war against cyber crime that poses grave threat to the economy and social order.

"Given the rapid evolution of the ICT industry in this country and the many benefits it has unleashed, there is need to protect it from multiple threats through upgrading infrastructure, human capacity development and enforcement of laws," Itemere said.

He spoke in Nairobi during launch of a capacity building project on ICT sector laws and their enforcement supported by the International Telecommunications union.

The capacity building project target judges, prosecutors, lawyers and police to enhance their understanding of laws governing cyber-space.

Itemere said the government has prioritized creation of a critical pool of legal practitioners with an in-depth understanding of emerging threats to cyber-space like hacking and electronic fraud.

"There is an urgent need to secure our cyberspace as criminal elements employ sophisticated ways to infiltrate it and disrupt electronic commerce or sensitive data belonging to governments and corporations," said Itemere.

He added that Kenya's regulatory and security agencies have enhanced vigilance in the cyber-space to curb spread of hate messages that may disrupt civil order in an election year.

Kenya has invested in infrastructure upgrade alongside sensitization of judicial and law enforcement officers to strengthen action on cyber-crimes.

Director General, Communications Authority of Kenya, Francis Wangusi said enactment of a raft of policy and legal frameworks has been ongoing to boost cyber-security amid evolution of man-made threats.

"We have modernized our ICT infrastructure to make it resilient to attacks by local or global criminal syndicates involved in hacking and other cyber-crimes," Wangusi remarked.

Statistics from International Telecommunications Union (ITU) indicate that in 2013 alone, cyber-crime generated 400 billion to 1 trillion dollars to criminal networks.

Director of ITU, Africa Region, Andrew Rugege said a robust legal system is key to enhance a country's ability to protect its cyber-space. Endit