4th SG13 Regional Workshop for Africa on
“Future Networks for a better Africa: IMT-2020,
Trust, Cloud Computing and Big Data”
(Accra, Ghana, 14-15 March 2016)
ICT as critical infrastructure: What's Next For
Ghana?
Samuel Acquah-Bartels,
Regulatory and Government Affairs Specialist, Vodafone
Email: Samuel.acquahbartels@Vodafone.com
Main crux of Presentation
• ICT infrastructure has attained Critical National Infrastructure
status
• That technological changes make security and trust
mandatory
• In designing policy Government must emphasise security,
trust and privacy
• Cooperation and not ‘command and control’ is the way
forward in building trust in ICT infrastructure
The Challenge of the new age
• Value of information and information systems to economies is at an
unprecedented high and will continue to be so for a long time.
• Information networks/infrastructure have become the drivers and
foundations of economies
• Trade rules have changed and Economic power has shifted
• Jurisdictions are being re-defined by the Cyberspace
• In the Communications sector businesses, governments, and
individuals’ activities to IP-based systems and networks
• The sense of threat and vulnerability is mounting
• Pressure is mounting on public and private sectors to assure people
about cyber security
Critical National Infrastructure
• “Those critical elements of infrastructure, the loss or compromise
of which could result in:
a) major detrimental impact on the availability, integrity or delivery
of essential services – including those services, whose integrity, if
compromised, could result in significant loss of life or casualties –
taking into account significant economic or social impacts; and/or
b) b) significant impact on national security, national defence, or the
functioning of the state” – UK government Definition
• An asset or system which is essential for the maintenance of vital
societal functions. - EU Directive on European Critical Infrastructure
Why ICT is Critical National
Infrastructure
• It meets general CNI criteria
• All other essential services such as water, gas,
electricity, communications and banking –are
ICT-dependent.
• With this dependency can come vulnerability
to system failures, aggressors, criminals etc.
Implications
• Partnerships between the public and private sectors are essential to
maintaining critical infrastructure security and resilience
• It is the reason that Telecommunication Companies have raised red
flags about the attempt to implement an Interconnect Clearing
House (ICH) in Ghana.
• Efficient network design will seek to avoid connectivity that creates
a single point of failure.
• The introduction of the mandatory CLH will expose the entire
telecommunications networks to the risk of a single point of failure.
• In the unfortunate event of a terrorist attack or any other
unforeseen cyber attack affecting the ICH all subscribers including
emergency services will be unable to initiate interconnect calls.
Trustworthy ICTs and Perception
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Perception matters for trust in systems and information
trustworthy ICTs must respect citizens' rights and protect their privacy and
personal data
Privacy and Data protection require that appropriate technical and organisational
measures are taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data
and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to personal data
Admittedly not all information channelled through our ICT infrastructure is
Personal Data but is still Private
Trust is contingent on the extent to which subscribers’ Constitutional Human
Rights and Statutory rights to be left alone are being upheld
The stakes are higher because of the value of personal information--- a whole
treasure throve for legitimate and non-legitimate purposes
Privacy breaches and system failure will only cause a sense of mistrust and
insecurity
Six OECD priorities areas:
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Information Security:
Privacy Online:
Cross-border fraud:
SPAM:
Broadband:
Digital content:
Going forward
• ‘Command and control’ or Cooperation between the
Private sector and the public sector?
• Is there enough Trust in the evolving Mobile financial
services and E-commerce?
• How much trust will there be in a Ghanaian owned and
operated Cloud Computing infrastructure
• Have we demonstrated enough resilience for the
Internet of Things?
• How do we secure Big data against breaches?
Trust, but verify!
--- Ronald Reagan
Thank You!