NITA-U Cautions The Public To Be Vigilant on Cybersecurity Matters

The National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) today held a Cyber Security Awareness Conference aimed at increasing public awareness and vigilance about the day-to-day cyber threats.

Dubbed the “Do Your Part, #BeCyberSmart”, the conference brought together different key players in cybersecurity including Ministry of ICT & National Guidance, Uganda Bankers Association, Uganda Police Force, Financial Intelligence Authority, Internet Society Uganda, (ISC)2 Uganda Chapter, ISACA Kampala Chapter, and the National Data Protection Office.

Speaking at the Conference, the Executive Director NITA-U, Dr. Hatwib Mugasa called upon stakeholders to come together and address cybersecurity concerns. He observed that due to the rapid growth in internet users in the country, there is a much-needed purpose of raising awareness about the cyber-related threats and empowering the Ugandan citizens with the knowledge and sense of shared responsibility to practice a safe and informed decision while using the internet.

“We need to remember as technology users that safeguarding the internet is a responsibility, we all share. Digital technologies and the internet have transformed our everyday lives since we can now access information, conduct business, keep in touch with family and friends, and engage online —but we need to remember cyber-attacks are becoming more common and devise means to raise awareness and address them,” Dr. Mugasa said.

Arnold Mangeni, the Director of Information Security at NITA-U said that the Government of Uganda through NITA-U is committed to enhancing cyber security in all sectors of the economy and such conferences are a good way to involve all stakeholders in the process.

“The government acknowledges the importance of creating an environment that allows secure and safe digital transactions for Ugandan citizens and therefore has put in place the National Information Security Framework which provides for minimum security guidelines for every government agency and the critical information infrastructure each entity is required to maintain.” He adds that “This includes incident response and crisis management largely focused on a prevention and proactive approach.”

Mangeni said he is happy to report that we have recently completed the enhancement of the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT).

With the launch of the Cyber Security Awareness Campaign “Be Safe Online” NITA-U continues to deliver on its promise of safeguarding the Ugandan people every step of the way.

The Be Safe Online campaign is being funded by the World Bank as part of the Regional Communications Infrastructure Project (RCIP) Uganda. RCIP Uganda has focused on complementary infrastructure investments to ensure greater access to affordable, high-quality ICT, and the development of a range of enabling e-Government foundations such as shared infrastructure and e-Services for MDAs among other interventions.