This stern action comes in the wake of the December 31, 2023, deadline set by the Authority for these entities to obtain a licence or accreditation to operate lawfully in the country in a bid to sanitize the cyber space.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Cybersecurity Authority expressed commitment to enforce the stringent provisions articulated in the Cybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038) to ensure that offenders face criminal prosecution and administrative penalties where applicable.

One can ascertain whether an entity or individual has been granted a licence or accreditation, the certificate number of the entity or individual online at https://www.csa.gov.gh/licence.

“The CSA will fully enforce the provisions of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) regarding its mandate to regulate CSPs, CPs and CEs. Accordingly, CSPs, CEs and CPs who offer cybersecurity services without a licence or accreditation granted by the Authority, do so in contravention of Act 1038 and will face the full rigors of the Law including criminal prosecutions and administrative penalties where applicable. Institutions and individuals are consequently advised to engage only licensed CSPs and accredited CEs and CPs”, a statement from the Authority said.

The Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), came into force in December 2020 to regulate cybersecurity activities and promote the development of cybersecurity in Ghana. The Act thus mandates the Authority to regulate cybersecurity entities, pursuant to sections 4(k), 49, 50, 51, 57 and 59.

The regulatory regime will among other things ensure:

• a streamlined mechanism for ensuring that CSPs, CEs and CPs offer their services in accordance with approved standards and procedures in line with domestic requirements and international best practice;
• greater assurance of cybersecurity and safety to consumers;
• an improved and maintained standard that offers baseline protection to Ghana’s digital ecosystem and;
• that national security concerns are addressed.

The CSA and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) are also collaborating to ensure that public sector entities procuring cybersecurity services do so in accordance with the guidelines developed pursuant to Act 1038.

Stakeholder engagement since October 2022, the CSA has been engaging all relevant stakeholders including cybersecurity service providers, establishments and professionals on the regulatory regime by deploying different communication strategies.

There have been more than 30 different industry engagements, leading to the introduction and implementation of the licensing and accreditation regime provided in the Cybersecurity Act, 2020.

The Authority further set up dedicated desks to receive all enquiries and to provide prompt feedback on the exercise to stakeholders.