By Yussif Ibrahim
Kumasi, Dec. 16, GNA – The CyberSafe Foundation, with support from Google.org, is set to launch an initiative dubbed Resilio Africa, a three-year project aimed at strengthening cybersecurity for critical community institutions across Africa.
The initiative comes at a time when community offices, hospitals, schools and public agencies increasingly rely on computers and the internet to deliver essential services and store sensitive personal data, yet many of these institutions lack adequate protection against cyber threats.
A release copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said Resilio Africa will support 200 Critical Community Institutions by providing free cybersecurity tools, security assessments, threat intelligence and rapid response assistance during cyber incidents.
The project is expected to protect more than two million people and secure over 15 million public records in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa.
According Haviva Kohl, Senior Programme Manager at Google.org, the partnership reflected a shared commitment to helping communities grow safely online, noting that, strong cybersecurity would enable local institutions to operate confidently in an increasingly digital environment.
The CyberSafe Foundation noted that cyber threats in Sub-Saharan Africa were escalating rapidly as more institutions collected personal information without the skills, resources or systems needed to protect it.
Many organisations still operate on outdated technology, lack trained personnel, and have no dedicated cybersecurity budgets.
Statistics from INTERPOL indicate that ransomware attacks in Africa increased by 23 per cent in 2023, with public and non-profit institutions among the most targeted.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has also reported that more than 60 per cent of African countries have low levels of cybersecurity readiness, exposing institutions to phishing, data breaches, ransomware attacks and service disruptions.
The Foundation cited evidence from AfricaCERT and national computer emergency response teams showing that cyberattacks on public institutions were already widespread.
In Kenya alone, more than 114 cyberattacks were recorded against community institutions in the first eight months of 2024, with attacks surging by 201 per cent in early 2025.
Similar vulnerabilities persist in Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, particularly within government and health institutions.
Resilio Africa is therefore designed to respond to these challenges through comprehensive security assessments, customised incident response guides, and clear cyber incident management plans.
The project will also deliver more than 10,000 hours of free cybersecurity support and provide training for leaders, IT staff, and general workers.
In total, over 4,500 personnel across the four countries are expected to benefit from capacity-building efforts.
Founder and Executive Director of CyberSafe Foundation, Confidence Staveley, said Africa’s digital growth could not be sustained without strong cybersecurity systems.
According to the Executive Director, with support from Google.org, the Foundation was expanding a tested model to help key institutions stay secure, protect the communities they serve and maintain public trust in digital systems.
Applications to join the Resilio Africa programme are now open to eligible institutions through the project’s official website.
Google.org is Google’s philanthropic arm, which has supported underserved communities since 2005 through funding, tools and technical assistance.
The CyberSafe Foundation works to make cybersecurity and artificial intelligence education accessible to underserved groups and has, since 2019, reached more than 30 million people, trained over 70,000 individuals and supported over 4,000 small businesses to improve their digital security.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Kenneth Odeng Adade