By Kampala Post Reporter
Uganda has hosted the Annual and Regional Cyber Defence East Africa 2019 Conference with focus on the Finance Sector.
The two-day conference that ended on Wednesday evening at Royal Suites Hotel Bugolobi attracted more than 100 cyber security professionals along with policy makers and representatives from the financial sector in Uganda and other East African countries.
“This sector (finance sector) is one of the most targeted by attackers and cyber criminals. The conference aims to explore how to build a robust cybersecurity ecosystem within the financial sector,” said Angela Ndagano, the Corporate Communications Officer National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U)
NITA-U co-organized the conference with NRD Cyber Security, a cybersecurity operation building, technology consulting, incident response and applied research company based in Europe with operations across the globe.
The conference involved discussions around what could and should be done in terms of regulations and cyber resilient culture building within the region.
Sigitas Rokas from NRD Cyber Security revealed that Africa is the 2nd fastest financial market globally and most profitable, which makes it a top target for cyber related crimes, noting that the risks are real. He emphasized that this will further require a re-shape in policy in order to manage the risks and promote trust amongst users.
“Micro-lending platforms are gaining more and more prominence within the financial sector, however the sector is yet to be digitalized. This presents a great opportunity to think ahead about cyber security and incorporate it into the process of the sector's digitization,” he said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Arnold Mangeni, the Director 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 that such conferences are a good way to involve all stakeholders in the process.
Mangeni added that as per its Act, NITA-U plays a central coordination role for cyber security.
“Working with the Uganda Bankers Association, we completed customization of the National Information Security Framework (NISF) for the banks which creates a minimum baseline of cyber security controls. Our next initiative is to collaborate on establishing the Financial Sector. I’m happy to report that we have recently completed a National Cyber Security Risk Assessment through which the financial sector was profiled in collaboration – making a foundation for enhancing our approach to cyber security,” he said.
"The Government of Uganda through NITA-U has rolled out a National Payment Gateway to enhance efficiency in how citizens pay for various e-government services in a seamless and hustle free manner with various payment modes. To date, Nine Banks and two Mobile payment telecoms are already operating on this network. Such initiatives enhance trust in use of e-services," Mangeni further explains.
About the conference
Cyber Defense East Africa is an annual cybersecurity conference co-organized by NRD Cyber Security together with local and international partners.
It serves as a knowledge sharing and networking platform, aimed at addressing cybersecurity issues and bring together the Government, the ICT Industry and Academia in efforts to create a better and more secure digital environment for the states, governments, businesses and citizens in East Africa.
In 2013, 2014 and 2015 the conference took place in Tanzania, while from 2016 onwards the event has taken place in Uganda.
