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The Accra Chapter of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) has honoured Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, Director General of Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), with a “Trailblazer Award” for his outstanding leadership in the development of cybersecurity in Ghana.

The President-elect of ISACA Accra Chapter, Mr. Solomon Ackom, lauded Dr. Antwi-Boasiako’s unwavering commitment to bridging policy gaps and fostering collaboration between public and private sectors, positioning Ghana as a regional leader in cyber governance.

The award was given at a seminar organised by the ISACA Accra Chapter on January 24, 2025, in Accra on the theme, “Cybersecurity in Ghana: the present and the future”.

The seminar brought together some of Ghana’s foremost cybersecurity experts, to discuss matters that affect the country’s evolving cybersecurity landscape and the role of industry to support the growth of Ghana’s cybersecurity ecosystem.

Dr. Antwi-Boasiako, the guest speaker at the event, emphasised the importance of nurturing a robust and professional cybersecurity workforce in Ghana. He commended ISACA Accra for its dynamic and youthful membership base and took the opportunity to highlight the importance of the government’s licensing and accreditation framework for cybersecurity professionals.

He urged the practitioners to formalise their trade within CSA’s regulatory structure, stressing that the regulatory regime mandates that Ghanaian citizens and institutions who are accredited and licensed should be considered for cybersecurity jobs. Additionally, he indicated that, following the implementation of the regulatory regime, international companies seeking to operate in Ghana’s cybersecurity sector must first partner with accredited and licensed local firms before they can obtain operating licenses.

He further highlighted that Ghana’s impressive cybersecurity progress on the global stage, achieving Tier 1 status in ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) is evidence of its growing influence and leadership in cybersecurity governance. He underscored the importance of continued collaboration with international partners and stakeholders to enhance Ghana’s cybersecurity capacity. He urged them to support the operationalisation of the Industry Forum for improved private sector representation and engagements on cybersecurity matters.

Providing an in-depth analysis of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and the directives for the protection of Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), Dr. Antwi-Boasiako called on cybersecurity professionals to support the implementation of CSA regulations, as part of efforts to protect Ghana’s critical infrastructure and digital economy. He hinted on plans to designate additional institutions as CIIs by the Sector by the end of 2025 to further safeguard the nation’s critical assets. He emphasised the need for improved incident response and coordination and efforts to develop all sectors of the CERT Ecosystem.

After the Director-General’s presentation, participants engaged him on a number of issues including efforts by the CSA to ensure that all institutions across the country put in place basic systems and structures for their cybersecurity and the overall preparedness of the country to be resilient in the face of cyberattacks.

Supported by Management staff of the CSA, Dr. Antwi-Boasiako, responded to the participants by informing them of plans to increase compliance in CII institutions through the development of sector-specific directives that will compel the institutions to put in place cybersecurity measures. He also assured the participants that Ghana is prepared to counter state-sponsored cyber threats, outlining the military’s preventive strategies based on Collaboration, Corporation, and Coordination.

The following members of CSA Management team participated in the event: Mr. Stephen Cudjoe Seshie, (Ag. Deputy Director-General) Mrs. Mercy Araba Kertson (Director, Administration), Mr. Alexander Oppong (Director, Capacity Building and Awareness Creation), Mr. Benjamin Ofori (Head, Critical Information Infrastructure Protection), and Lt. Col. George Eduah Beesi (Head, Law Enforcement and Liaison Unit).