Fighting Cybercrime in Africa

Abstract

Cyber threat is a big issue in Africa. A lot of cybercrime emanates fro m the continent, and threats spread easily because many servers and computers are not properly protected. Africa, as a continent, is vulnerable to a range of online criminal activ ities, including financial fraud, drugs and human trafficking, and terroris m. A Deloitte survey published by BuddeCo mm, an independent research and consultancy company , in the year 2011, found that banks in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia alone had lost US$245 million to cyber fraud wh ich is quite a lot of money for countries without a highly developed banking systems. The aim of this study was to assess the efforts being made by African countries in fighting cybercrime. Towards this direction, specific structures put in p lace by East and West African countries were reviewed with Africa's capacity to win the fight against cybercrime as an overrid ing concern. The research revealed that the way forward is for Africa to learn fro m the experience of developed countries in fighting cybercrime. The fight against cybercrime requires coordinated effort among all stake holders such as government bodies, educational institutions, business organizations and law enfo rcement authorities.