Data Security and e-Government in Africa: When Digitization is a Honeypot

As African countries continue to digitize their public services, it's crucial that they prioritize cybersecurity to ensure the safety and security of their citizens’ personal information.

Cyberattacks on government websites and systems is a global challenge. According to a report, there was a 95% increase in the number of attacks targeting the government sector worldwide in the second half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. This increase was attributed to the rapid digitization of government services, which expanded the attack surface and made cyberattacks more frequent and successful. 

Government agencies collect and store vast amounts of data, making e-government platforms an attractive target for cybercriminals and threat actors. In 2022, hacktivist attacks accounted for 9% and ransomware for 6% of attacks against government sectors.

In recent years, the digitization of government services in Africa has become a major trend. Many African countries have implemented e-government platforms to improve service delivery, increase efficiency, and enhance governance. While digital transformation has proven to be beneficial, there are significant risks associated with the collection, storage, and sharing of citizens’ personal data online by governments. This is particularly true when adequate measures are not in place to protect this data from hackers and criminals.

Africa has become a prime target for cyberattacks aimed at both public and private sectors. A report shows that in 2021, Africa experienced the highest volume of cyberattacks, with Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya being the most affected countries on the continent. The trend of cyberattacks continues to rise in Africa, with the continent recording the highest average weekly cyberattacks per organization in the first quarter of 2023. 

According to INTERPOL, the top five cyberthreats in Africa include online scams, digital extortion, business email compromise, ransomware, and botnets. These threats target both public and private sector entities, but governments are particularly vulnerable due to their possession of large databases of sensitive information and their weak network and security infrastructure.

The shift towards digital government comes with several challenges, particularly in the areas of data privacy and security. A recent example of the difficulties faced by African governments in securing their e-government platforms is the cyberattack on Kenya’s e-Citizen platform by a group known as Anonymous Sudan. The attack disrupted services on the e-Citizen platform, which is used by the public to access more than 5,000 government services.

As Africa continues to digitize its government services, data security is becoming an increasingly critical issue. In recent years, there have been several high-profile data breaches of government websites in Africa, resulting in the exposure of the personal information of millions of citizens. For instance, in 2021, South Africa’s Department of Justice and Constitutional Development experienced a data breach that compromised over 1,200 confidential files containing personal information. In the same year, the state-owned freight corporation, Transnet, also suffered a cyberattack that crippled its systems and operations.  

In 2020, a hacker group claimed to have breached several Nigerian government websites and leaked confidential data, including the names, email addresses, phone numbers, and bank details of officials and citizens. The President of the Nigeria Computer Society confirmed that approximately 30 government sites were compromised because of the cyberattack. Nigerian government platforms and portals are subject to an average of 1.5 million attacks daily, highlighting the significant threats faced by e-government platforms.

To safeguard their systems and applications, African governments should respond accordingly. One critical way is to develop and regularly update their national digitization strategies, ensuring that they incorporate appropriate safeguards by design. Improving data security and protecting against cyberattacks should be a fundamental component of e-government platforms.

Governments should implement stronger encryption protocols to secure sensitive data and conduct regular security audits to identify system vulnerabilities. They should also provide training and resources to government employees to help them recognize and prevent cyberattacks.

Furthermore, it is crucial for governments to raise awareness and educate their citizens and businesses on how to safeguard their data online. By doing so, they can help prevent cyberattacks and data breaches, which can have severe consequences for individuals and businesses.

Providing citizens with information on best practices for data protection can also help foster trust in e-government platforms and promote their use. This can lead to more efficient and effective delivery of public services.

As more African countries embrace the digitization of their public services and infrastructure, it is essential that they prioritize data protection and cybersecurity. They must strike a balance between the opportunities and challenges presented by digital transformation. By taking proactive measures to address data privacy and security concerns, African governments can ensure that their e-government platforms are secure and effective in delivering services to their citizens.