Strengthening Cybersecurity in Ghana’s Tertiary Education Sector
Accra has recently witnessed a significant initiative aimed at enhancing cybersecurity within the country’s higher education institutions. The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) organized a capacity-building workshop for members of Vice-Chancellors’ Ghana (VCG), focusing on strengthening leadership and resilience in the face of evolving cyber threats.
This event was held in collaboration with the Shadowserver Foundation and the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST). The goal was to deepen the understanding of the dynamic cybersecurity landscape that affects universities and other tertiary institutions across Ghana.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Jamal Seidu Tozua, acting Deputy Director-General of the CSA in charge of regulatory operations, delivered a speech on behalf of the Director General, Mr. Divine Selase Agbeti. He highlighted the increasing cybersecurity risks that educational institutions are encountering and stressed the importance of maintaining strong cyber hygiene practices.
Dr. Tozua encouraged Vice-Chancellors to bolster the technical capabilities of their IT departments and to enhance cooperation with the National Computer Emergency Response Team of Ghana (CERT-GH). This collaboration is essential to minimize the exposure of institutions to cyber threats. He also urged tertiary institutions to support the establishment of an Education Sector Computer Response Team (CERT) to improve coordination in threat detection, response, and information sharing.
He emphasized that institutions should only engage with licensed and accredited cybersecurity providers when procuring services. “As institutions that may engage cybersecurity service providers, establishments, and professionals from time to time, it is important that you deal only with licensed and accredited institutions and professionals,” he said.
The CSA is working closely with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to integrate cybersecurity as a core component of Ghana’s higher education system. Dr. Tozua mentioned that they have engaged GTEC on several initiatives, including the development of a National Cybersecurity Competency and Qualification Framework. This framework aims to create a structured learning pathway, starting from foundational cyber literacy to advanced professional certification.
Mr. Jerry Sarfo, Director of Corporate Affairs at GTEC, spoke on behalf of the Director-General. He noted that the tertiary education sector has become a prime target for cybercriminals due to the large volume of sensitive data managed by universities. He called for the conscious embedding of a culture of cyber resilience on campuses.
The training sessions were led by experts from the CSA, the Shadowserver Foundation, and FIRST. Participants were educated on emerging cyber threats such as online fraud, impersonation, phishing, unauthorized access, and the exposure of institutional data on the dark web. Key vulnerabilities identified by the CSA within the education sector were also discussed.
One of the highlights of the workshop was a tabletop simulation exercise where university leadership teams responded to a ransomware attack scenario. This exercise tested their coordination, crisis decision-making, and readiness for incident response.
Prof. Richard Kwasi Amankwah, Chair of Vice-Chancellors’ Ghana, praised the CSA for the initiative and called for continued collaboration between the Authority and tertiary institutions.
