Kumasi Technical University on 23rd March, 2023 organised a public lecture on the topic: “Building a Sustainable Cyber-Crime-Free Society for Economic Development”. This was held as part of the Research and Innovation Week by the Institute of Research, Innovation and Development (IRID).
COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah , Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and an alumna of the University, delivered the Lecture on the topic, "Building a Sustainable Cyber Free Society for Economic Growth".
Speaking at the lecture, Maame Tiwaa, called for more collaborative efforts which include the private sector, international cooperation and continuous government investment in fighting cyber crime.
She indicated that deliberate resourcing of Crime fighting bodies such as the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service, The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) must be done to win the war on cyber-criminal activities in the country.
Recent reports have shown that Ghana’s internet penetration rate currently stands at 23.5 million of the total population, an observation COP Tiwaah says, has exposed users to all forms of cybercrimes. Such threats, she stressed have serious implications for the country’s international reputation.
Maame Tiwaa said digital extortion known as online blackmail or sextortion is also identified as the most prominent cyber threat. Business e-mail compromise, she said, has also become a significant concern and threat with huge sums of money lost, affecting the financial standing.
COP Tiwaah additionally urged the public to be vigilant and take measures to protect themselves from Cyber threats. She advised individuals to regularly change their passwords, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and refrain from sharing sensitive personal information online, therefore advising the public to report such suspicious characters to State security for immediate action.
The Director of the Institute Dr Smart Sarpong said the forum was to open a broader discussion on the issue as it remains one of the ways by which businesses lose revenue but fail to report out of shyness.
He said the university as part of its measures to help curb the menace has introduced a new programme of study on Artificial Intelligence to help simulate information on cyber-crime for solutions to them before they occur. He thus urged other educational institutions to cooperate with authorities to help reduce the menace.
The lecture was chaired by Ing. Prof. Osei-Wusu Achaw , Vice-Chancellor of the University.
