Dr. Herbert Gustav Yankson, Director in charge of Cyber Crime Unit at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters has noted that Ghana’s vulnerabilities and lack of awareness of risks in the internet space was worrying.
He said it was contributory to increases in cyber fraud cases in the country and exposed Ghanaians to risks of on-line attacks to children, increasing net predators, mobile money fraud, among others.
To this end, the Cyber Crime expert has made a call for adequate preparations to protect citizens on dangers of cyber fraud threats to reduce their vulnerabilities for a safer, digital migration.
Supt. Yankson made this known on Friday in an interview with Journalists after a Regional Cyber Security awareness programme held for Second Cycle Schools at Bolgatanga Senior High School in Upper East Region and organised by the National Communications Authority for Senior High Schools.
He said government placed importance to citizens’ protection and security in the drive to attaining a digital country, but he noted that online and phone technologies use was abound with a lot of opportunities and convenience for E-products.
He also alerted that cyber- crime was dynamic and criminals were gearing themselves with sophisticated avenues to exploit the system and stated that government was taking steps to create the needed awareness on cyber security throughout October to inform citizens of the risks, opportunities and to prepare people for online safety.
He said fraud alone constituted 60 per cent of crime recorded daily and stated that the country lost 35 million dollars to fraud in 2016, and in 2017, an amount of $69 million was lost whilst $97 million was lost by August 2018.
He said the on-going Regional Cyber Security Awareness programme would be climaxed with a week-long activities with total participation of President Akufo-Addo who had endeared himself with challenges of crime to drum home the need for protection of all Ghanaians.
Mr Philip Danquah Debrah, Business Operations Manager of Cyber Security and Investigations Bureau, in an earlier presentation on choices and online safety, urged students to be responsible in decisions making regarding what information they gave out about themselves and advised them to be circumspect with chat rooms.
He said child related cyber –crime was on the rise and to help protect children, he urged parents to keep home computers in common areas in the home, regulate their use by monitoring what they do in using the computers.
Source: GNA
