President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has pledged his government committment to supporting the telecommunications sector in developing sustainable networks with other countries in Africa and around the world.
Speaking at the third cybersecurity conference, the Liberian leader emphasized collaboration as an essential and effective tool that his administration must leverage to ensure that it emerge victorious in such battle.
According to him, The theme of the conference “Secure our World” highlights the urgent need to address technological issues.
He told the gathering that Cybercrime’s impact is comparable to the devastating consequences of military conflicts.
President Boakai encouraged Institutions to prioritize cybersecurity as a major component of their risk mitigation strategies.
He stressed that Implementing technologies, practices, and policies to prevent cyberattacks can significantly reduce their impact.
“When an entity prioritizes cybersecurity, its computer systems, applications, devices, data, and financial assets are better protected against cyber threats”, he noted.
President Boakai pointed out that taking over the helm of authority as head of State of Liberia his cardinal desire concerning the young people was youth empowerment.
“This would be done by instituting a national program that would sharpen their abilities to contribute to the herculean task of post-war rebuilding”, he re-emphasized.
Moreover, he disclosed the launched of the Digital Transformation Program which targeted the training of the first ten thousand young people to benefit from computer skills nothing that Liberian youths are smart, and he has no doubt they can pickup quickly.
The Liberian leader announced efforts to combat cybercrime which he stated are underway and progressing satisfactorily and he believe that implementing a comprehensive advancement program will empower young individuals to take on key roles in the fight against cybercrime.
President Boakai said the Liberian Telecommunications Authority (LTA) is committed to training and supporting young men and women to become cybersecurity professionals and contribute to safeguarding Liberia’s cyberspace and as such calls for regular reporting on the progress of digital program nationwide.
He informed the body that a bill aimed at combating cybercrime, strengthening cybersecurity, and protecting the Country’s cyberspace is currently being deliberated by the Liberian Legislature.
Given the significance and urgency of the bill for our national security, President Boakai urge the Legislature to expedite its passage.
He indicated that he is confident that such legislation will facilitate necessary legal actions against cybercriminal activities and restore trust and credibility to affected individuals and institutions and victims will have renewed hope that their privacy can once again be safeguarded.
“As we take these measures, let us not forget that criminals are crafty. They are daily designing plans to succeed with their actions, We must, therefore, remain resolute and deal with this unwholesome practice drastically and We must be ahead of them”, he cautioned the gathering of experts at the opening ceremony.
President Boakai also called on the LTA, the regulatory government body to see as imperative the establishment of robust regulatory frameworks to effectively address cybersecurity issues.
“In a rapidly evolving world, it is crucial for us to keep pace with the challenges across all sectors of our country and the knowledge gained today should not remain dormant due to the persistent issue of unemployment in our country adding that there will always be a demand for cybersecurity services as long as criminals continue to pose threats”, he noted.
He hopes that this forum will mark a significant milestone for Liberia to take the lead in cyber warfare rather than constantly being on the defensive.
“As technology advances, dishonest individuals disrupt progress by launching attacks on systems, attempting to influence political decisions, and defrauding financial institutions”, he re-emphasized.
Provding statistics he indicated that in today’s global village, Cybercrime has become very sophisticated and can be seen across various sectors and in the last 20 years, cybersecurity breaches have increased by over 70%.
At the same time, Businesses reported losses of over $2 billion in 2023 due to attacks on their email facilities.
These losses, President Boakai stated not only affect people and institutions but also benefit criminals engaged in activities such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking adding that It is imperative for Liberia not ignore this issue.
