Ghana has lost over GH¢19.3 million to cybercrime in 2025, prompting a call for stronger accountability and public awareness to safeguard the country's digital ecosystem.
Academic City University, the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana, and the Cyber Security Authority, Ghana, have released a white paper titled Securing Trust in Ghana's Digital Future: Accountability, Awareness and Action, highlighting the need for coordinated action to address the growing threats facing individuals, businesses, and public institutions.
Major Cybersecurity Incidents in Ghana
Between January and September 2025, Ghana recorded 14,425 cybersecurity-related reports and enquiries, with 3,286 confirmed as actual cyber incidents. Online fraud accounted for 37% of the reported incidents, followed by cyberbullying at 22%, online blackmail at 15%, unauthorized access at 12%, and information disclosure at 9%.
The white paper draws attention to the vulnerability of the education sector, with over 550 compromised university staff credentials reportedly found on the dark web, while a number of institutional websites were operating outdated or insecure systems.
Recommendations for Strengthening Digital Trust
The report identifies limited digital literacy, weak reporting of cyber incidents, the high cost of secure digital services, data misuse, weak institutional accountability, vulnerabilities in imported ICT systems, and a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals as major challenges. To address these challenges, the report recommends continuous, multilingual national cybersecurity awareness campaigns using radio, television, social media, community durbars, and faith-based platforms.
The report also stresses the need for stronger enforcement of existing cybersecurity and data protection laws, greater transparency in ICT procurement, improved verification of imported hardware and software, and the development of a National Digital Trust Framework to establish common cybersecurity, privacy, and digital governance standards.
Digital Literacy and Cybersecurity Education
Dr. Muhammed Siraj, the Director for Graduate and Continuous Education for the Faculty of Computational Science and Informatics at Academic City, emphasizes the need for higher education institutions to develop the skills needed for the digital economy and contribute research and practical solutions to national challenges. "Digital transformation can only deliver its full benefits when people trust the systems they use. That trust must be built through awareness, accountability, and effective action."
Next Steps for Ghana's Digital Future
The white paper's findings serve as a wake-up call for stakeholders to move beyond discussions about cybersecurity and focus on practical measures that strengthen public confidence in Ghana's digital systems. The report's recommendations aim to establish a National Digital Trust Framework, expand cybersecurity education and professional training, strengthen collaboration between government, academia, and industry, and direct greater resources towards underserved communities. The effectiveness of Ghana's cybersecurity agenda will ultimately depend on implementation, enforcement, institutional accountability, and the country's ability to address the identified challenges.
Source: Joy Online
