Gov't Forced To Action Against Growing Cyber Threats

/By Macdonald Ayang Okumb/

     Government has launched its first ever training centre for cyber security, research and digital investigation and forensics.

The centre which shall run under the University of Buea was officially launched recently by Post and Telecommunications Minister, Jean Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam.

     Minister Biyiti Bi Essam, acknowledging the important role that digital technology plays in the economic growth of every nation, said government could not hesitate in taking such a move at a time when all forms of cyber threats and crimes were witnessing an upward trend.

     Thus, those to be trained at the centre, he said, would be equipped with skills to identify and track down people who perpetrate mischief on the cyber space.

     The UB Head of Information Technology, Joan Ali Wacka, posited that the importance of the centre cannot be undermined. Hear her: “...Cameroon cannot be indifferent to the cyber warfare, attacks and all what is happening around the world. So Cameroon has taken this initiative through the university of Buea to create this centre which is one of  its kind in the sub-region to train people on how to use these skills to secure the cyber space, fight cyber wars and mitigate cyber attacks... its a very important centre and we hope it would live up to its expectations...”

     To the UB Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nalova Lyonga, there’s even more reason to take the fight against cyber criminality seriously. Her words: “...the worst thing that we have had is the tampering with the Head of State’s website (when a fake picture was posted on it showing the Head of State paying homage to soldiers killed in the Boko Haram fight, whereas he was out of the country)...And you don’t want that to repeat itself. So you can understand why we think this is important. We cannot keep talking, but there must be action...”

     Two streams of people shall be admitted for the training viz; those who already have some skills in cyber issues as well as the young ones coming up who would want to take it as a course in the university.

     Those who’ll be trained include, judges, lawyers, computer scientists, programmers, professionals working in corporations, those of the military, the police, gendarmes, customs officers and members of the judiciary, to name a few. 

     The centre shall take 25 trainees at a time and fees are yet to be determined. Training periods shall also vary, we learnt.