The development of a cybersecurity strategy will protect Namibian citizens from the growing online threats, said Institute for Public Policy Research associate researcher Frederico Links on Friday.
Information Minister Peya Mushelenga announced on Thursday that the cabinet instructed his ministry to develop a cybersecurity strategy as well as an awareness plan.
Links said the fact that the state is heading the initiative should not take away from the importance of online protection which has been long overdue.
“Such a strategy will help Namibian users confront the cyber risks on a daily basis,” Links said.
A national cybersecurity strategy is a plan of actions designed to improve the security and resilience of national infrastructures and services.
Earlier this year, deputy director of policy and regulations in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology Elisabeth Kamutueza said the country did not respond appropriately to a number of cyber events due to the lack of a legal framework in place.
Link said the experts needed to develop a proper cybersecurity strategy are not in government but rather in private sectors as well as a civil society who deal with online risks daily.
“The academics, civil society, telecommunications companies, technology engineers and experts who will build and implement the strategy will be needed and they are not in government,” Links explained.
Links further suggested that MICT draw in Facebook, Microsoft and other major developers as to develop the strategy.
In 2018 a survey done by Deloitte on Cyber Security for Namibia found that budgets for information technology as a whole are comparable to global standards, but maybe too low for the strategic development of information asset management.
On Thursday, Australian announced that their Cyber Security Strategy 2020 will invest $1.67 billion over 10 years to create a more secure online world for citizens, their businesses and essential services.
MICT was also tasked to develop a national digital strategy which was also approved by the cabinet last month.
