ADDIS ABABA –Information Network Security Administration (INSA) stated that it is high time to exert combined effort in the fight against cyber security attacks and it has combated 97.73 cyber-attacks over the 1st quarter of this fiscal year.
Speaking at the 4th National Cyber Security Month commemorated yesterday with under the theme: “Resilient Cyber Capability for National Sovereignty,” Administration Director General Solomon Soka said that the number of cyber-attacks on various institutions and citizens is increasing and becomes complicated from time to time.
As to him, some 2,556 cyber-attacks were attempted on Ethiopia in the first quarter of this fiscal year on various targeted areas for cyber-attacks such as website, which has taken the lion’s share, hosting some 764 trials. Next to website, a distributed denial-of-service, destruction of infrastructure, and survey of infrastructure have shared the sufferings. For instance, via pass has shared 669 attacks. Compared with the past similar period, website attacks do not exceed from 258 and via pass was only 139. However, some areas like a distributed denial-of-service attacks and survey of infrastructure were reduced by cyber-attacks from 590 to 41 and from 700 to 01 respectively. However, in the country, some 97.73 attacks were prevented.
According to the international, 80% up 90% of cyber-attack is causes by the lack of awareness among the people. The administration has been working on increasing information dissemination through developed a legal framework and well flowed procedure.
He pointed out that all concerned bodies particularly the media should play a crucial part in disseminating the relevant information to the public, increasing the knowledge of the people on cyber issues, and the likes with a view to realizing national interests.
Government Communication Service (GCS) Minister Legese Tulu (PhD) on his part said that countries that have been using technology and improving the level of cyber security are ensuring their national interest and safeguard their citizens. Therefore, Ethiopia needs to work hard on widening cyber security space through an integrated manner.
Legese added that the government has been working in close collaboration with INSA, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the likes to ensure the holistic security of the nation. Therefore, producing proficient citizens in the filed by modernizing the service from the grass root level is crucial to bring the expected outcome in cyber security arena.
Supporting the above idea, Ethiopian Mass Media Authority Director General Mohammed Indris said :“The media should disseminate trustworthy information to the people to help ensure the economic, social, and political interests of the country.”
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2023
