The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) have pledged to work together to deliver “our respective mandates to achieve a secure and resilient digital Ghana.
This was announced on Tuesday, 25 January 2022, when the new Executive Director of EOCO, COP, Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, paid a courtesy call on the Ag. Director-General of the CSA, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako.
Welcoming the EOCO delegation to the CSA, Dr. Antwi-Boasiako said COP Addo-Danquah’s visit less than a month after her appointment was an indication of the importance her office attach to the cybercrime and cybersecurity matters and most importantly, “your keen interest to collaborate with the CSA to address cybercrime challenges facing the Republic.”
Section 13 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) establishes the Joint Cybersecurity Committee (JCC) of which EOCO is a member. The JCC is expected to provides the legal framework for cooperation among state agencies and also with non-state actors to respond to cybersecurity challenges.
Also, the Economic and Organised Crime Office Act, 2010 (Act 804), mandates EOCO to deal with organised crime and as most organised crimes are becoming cyber-enabled, EOCO has a responsibility to build capacity in the area of cybercrime investigations and digital forensics to be able to effectively deliver on this critical law enforcement mandate—hence the courtesy call by COP Addo-Danquah to familiarise herself to the workings of the CSA.
The Cyber Security Authority
Following the passage of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) was formally launched on October, 1 2021 by the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
The Authority has a mandate to regulate cybersecurity activities and promote the development of cybersecurity in the country, among others. As a regulatory body, the CSA has a role to support law enforcement and security agencies to carry out their legal mandates in addressing cybercrime and cybersecurity challenges. One critical area is the interception powers provided in Sections 69 to 77 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 which allow law enforcement agencies to access data from relevant service providers to support lawful investigative activities.
Understanding the work of CSA
COP Addo-Danquah said the EOCO delegation was visiting the CSA for one crucial purpose—appreciating and understanding the work of the Authority as enshrined in the CSA Act.
Again, she said the visit would ensure the establishment of a collaborative channel leading to the achievement of their respective mandates per the law.
“We are going to support you in every way that we can to achieve your mandate and while we at that, you also reciprocate the gesture for us to also achieve our mandate,” she stated.
