Mozambique: Government working to combat cyber-crime

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Mozambique: Government working to combat cyber-crime

7:19 CAT | 01 Jun 2018

The Mozambican Minister of Science, Technology and Higher and Technical Education, Jorge Nhambiu, on Thursday guaranteed that the government is working to prevent and combat cyber-crime, though training staff of all public institutions in cyber-security.

He was speaking to reporters in the northern city of Pemba, where he is attending two days of scientific and technological seminars.

Cyber-security is important for any state, he stressed, particularly at a time when modern life is so dependent on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), which have become key factors in economic and social development

The government, Nhambiu said, hopes that cyberspace can be used to stimulate economic and social growth. But for this to happen Mozambican cyber-space must become secure and resilient, so that the government, private business and civil society can use it in an environment of trust, as envisaged in the National Strategy on Cyber-Security, approved by the government in 2017.

Work under way, the Minister said, includes a course held with the assistance of Brazilian technicians, to train staff from all the provinces in matters of cyber-security.

“I think we shall soon have palpable results in the improvement of cyber-security in our country”, he added. “In addition to the courses, we are seeking assistance from many countries which are highly developed in the question of cyber-security, so that we can build the capacity to respond rapidly to attacks”.

Nhambiu said that hackers are already at work in Mozambique. Attacks were happening every day, particularly against banks and websites of government bodies – but society has not felt an impact, he claimed because of the “rapid reaction” of the relevant authorities.

He admitted that “on one occasion we did not react swiftly, and some of the government’s web pages were affected”. When that happens, people who log on to the affected page do not see the content placed by the government, but only content placed by the hackers.

“We are working not just to cure, but also to prevent cyber-attacks”, said the Minister.

Source: AIM