President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Albert Kwabena Dwumfour has called for the adoption of a cybersecurity culture in the country to protect lives, businesses and properties.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s Cybersecurity Security Awareness on Sunday in Accra, Mr. Dwumfour said it was essential to emphasize that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and that everyone plays a role in fostering a cybersecurity culture.
“It is essential to emphasize that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and that everyone plays a role in fostering a cybersecurity culture. Cybersecurity affects everyone, including the media; therefore, individual accountability is essential for combating this threat,” the GJA President said.
He said this year’s theme, “Promoting a Culture of Digital Safety,” was extremely important due to the increasing rate of cyber-attacks across Africa, which hinders digital development.
“This is why the GJA gives National Cyber Security Awareness Month so much importance. Last year, the media was actively involved in the event’s awareness-raising efforts. I want to reassure you that our participation and media support for this year’s Cyber Security Awareness Month will be even greater because media platforms are a primary target for hackers who wish to disseminate information to the general public.
“A critical case in point is when the Pro Ukrainian group took over a Russian Channel by hacking to broadcast messages that opposed the Kremlin’s actions,” Mr Dwumfour stressed.
He added that it was worth noting that news outlets are frequently targeted by politically motivated actors who aim to disrupt or compromise the content and its distribution adding “So as media owners, you jettison cyber security issues at your own risk.
According to him, this fact and several other examples should be a clarion call for all to view cybersecurity as a multi-sectoral challenge and confront it with a multi-sectoral approach.
“We’re all development partners, so we need mutual support for the country’s accelerated growth.
“We will encourage our members to offer the Cyber Security Authority media spaces for its cybersecurity awareness campaign,” he said.