NAME
AHUMUZA JULIUS
REG NO.
2021/BIT/022/PS
Analysis
Information systems security is a set of security ways and tools that are used to protect organizational
information from unauthorized access , disruption and destruction. It also covers the tools that
organizations require to protect sensitive and non-sensitive data. The main objective is to ensure the
safety and privacy of critical data such as customer account details and financial data .
In Uganda, the following critical Information systems security issues were raised in the year 2021-22:
In 2021, Interpol Uganda released a report that banks lost over $4million dollars to hackers. The theft is
believed to have been carried out by use of technology and involved the use bank fraud and fake visa
cards . Online business fraudsters are also believed to have skimmed off around $500000 Us dollars
from users over the same period . This however proves Uganda’s weak information security system and
calls for related ministries to take action to reduce such cases.
On July 18th,2022, The Personal Data Protection Office was notified about a data breach against
Uganda Security exchanges an entity that is responsible for stock trading in Uganda. The breach led to
exposure of sensitive data that amounted to 32GB.
Uganda recently passed a law that criminalizes various of computers and other digital technologies.
This includes distributing and publishing information prohibited under . A punishment for breach of
this law has been prescribed for the offence which is imprisonment of up to 5years and a fine of about
10million Ugandan shillings. However, the newly introduced law is believed to be a threat to digital
rights and falls short of the international standards.
In November 2021, hackers used a website of a gaming website to steal money from Airtel Uganda and
went away with $2million Us Dollars. While the licensed betting website prides itself on making use of
standard encryption to protect the data of its users, hackers used it as a link to Airtel Money's systems.
The Personal Data Protection Office launched a data protection portal that will ease reporting,
processing, and resolving of data protection and privacy complaints and breaches. The Personal Data
Protection Office is open to individuals to file their complaints if they are concerned that their personal
data protection rights have not been respected .
The Uganda government blocked Facebook after the social media giant deleted hundreds of accounts of
National Resistance Movement supporters it suspected to be fake during the General Elections. The
users are believed to breached the Facebook laws by impersonating users, duplicating and faking their
accounts. Groups of pages or people worked together to mislead others about who they are or what they
were doing. This later Facebook to shutting down these groups of people that violated the internet
rules.
Challenges
Telecommunication fraud is one of the challenges faced by the Systems security sector in Uganda. This
is where fraudsters contact customers claiming to be from a Telecommunication company. Their main
aim is to gain access to weak information such as credit card pins, mobile money pins so as to steal
from their mobile wallets. This has led to multiple losses within such fraud claims.
Denial Of Service is also a challenge that is faced in the systems security of Uganda. This was
evidenced when a group known as Anonymous took down the Uganda Police website during the
aftermath of the general elections due to the murder of innocent civilians. This has continued to prove
Uganda’s weak Information Systems Security sector.
The Ugandan System security sector is at risk of ransom ware attacks. Hackers always take advantage
of existing vulnerabilities in IT systems to deploy and take hostage of the systems. This partly due to
Uganda’s weak system’s security sector. This may increase losses and break down of both giant and
non-giant companies in Uganda.
Immaturity of the System Security Market of Uganda is one of the huge challenges that is being faced.
The Ugandan has little or no formal procedures to keep it at good standards so as to protect vulnerable
businesses that work with information. This has therefore resulted into multiple losses in such sectors
such as Telecommunication companies like MTN and Airtel losing a huge sum totaling up to 14billion
Ugandan Shillings in the previous years.
There is shortage of system security support staff in Uganda. Finding qualified staff is a very difficult
task in Uganda at the present situations. To add on , the current little staff that is available is
overwhelmed by the attacks and breaches that are in existence. This however calls for a need in a huge
investment into the systems security sector so as to gain more working staff.
Solutions
The Ugandan government should invest large sums of money into the system security sector. This is
because our info sec is at it weakest point hence needs an improvement. The government should
therefore invest in training individuals on systems security through constructing system security
schools and also organizing security seminars. This will therefore improve the current working
systems.
Laws against computer misuse, data breaches, and privacy breaches should be put into action . This
will help regulate the poor usage of computers among Ugandans . Laws such imprisonment for breach
of rules of the internet and system security will also need to be put into place there by improving our
systems security sector.
Telecom companies should ensure that system security is the main priority to keep the company safe. If
such companies invest in system security, they will indeed protect their data and their name among
their users. Furthermore, they should work hand in hand to improve their current information systems
so as to ensure protection.
In conclusion, Uganda’s system security will only improve if security is made a priority whereby all
parties such as governments, companies and individuals do invest time and money into the industry.