TANZANIA at risk of major cyber attack

Lack of a national cyber-security system has exposed the country to the risk of being attacked by hackers who could cause a huge economic loss to Tanzanians.

Experts have warned that hackers can tamper with the ICT servers to paralyse electronic money transfer services such as Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), M-Pesa, Tigo-Pesa, Airtel Money and Easy Pesa to an extent that could affecte the country significantly.

Speaking at the cyber security stakeholders’ workshop yesterday, experts also raised an alarm that lack of national cyber security strategy is also a threat not only to security but safety of wealth, warning that hackers could steal huge amounts of money within five minutes .

The project coordinator for national cyber security system project, Dr Leonard Mselle, who is based at the University of Dodoma, said there was a growing threat of cyber insecurity which needed concerted efforts to take proactive actions for establishing a national strategy on the matter.

“Cybercrime is growing worldwide. Elsewhere all over the world most of the countries have taken steps to combat it through implementing the so-called cyber security posture.

Tanzanians must take concrete action to defend themselves against cyber-insecurity,” said Dr Mselle.

Cyber security posture entails the totality of preparedness or unpreparedness of a country in responding to a cyber-attack incident, according to him.

He said only four countries in Africa had put in place national systems for dealing with cyber insecurity. He listed them as Kenya which had established the Kenya National Computer Security Incident Response System, Mauritania which had National Security Incidence Centre, South Africa’s Computer Security Incident Response Team and Tunisian Computer Emergence Response Team.

The deputy head of cybercrimes unit at Police Headquarters, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Joshua Mwangasa said that they had recognized the problem of growing cybercrimes that had been affecting the security of civilians and their property.

“We have been struggling to combat cyber criminals but the only obstacle is lack of laws to deal with cybercrimes,” said he .

For his part, the Assistant Director of ICT under the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Mr Peter Phillip said that the government was aware of such a problem that is why it was in the process of preparing the laws for controlling cybercrimes.

According to him, by next financial year, the bills on cyber laws would be tabled in the parliament, including proposed laws on electronic money transfers, data collection and cybercrimes.

Posted By Ludger Kasumuni ,The Citizen