By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, Nov. 15, GNA – Ghana recorded more than GHS209.7 million in financial losses from 4,938 cybersecurity incidents between January and September 2026.
The losses exceeded the more than GHS25 million recorded from 4,604 incidents throughout 2025, raising concerns about the security of digital transactions and public confidence in online services.
Dr Divine Selase Agbeti, Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), disclosed the figures in an address read on his behalf at a cybersecurity industry gathering in Accra.
Speaking on the theme: āArchitecting Trust in a Digital World,ā he said the growing use of mobile money, digital banking, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and interconnected critical infrastructure had expanded economic opportunities but also increased exposure to cyber threats.
Dr Agbeti said trust was essential to the digital economy, adding that confidence would decline if customers feared losing money through mobile money wallets, online fraud, diverted bank transfers or the misuse of personal data without consequences.
āWhen confidence erodes, data adoption slows, businesses lose revenue, financial inclusion suffers, and the broader digital economy weakens,ā he said.
Dr Agbeti called for a shift from reactive cybersecurity measures to proactive prevention, urging organisations to integrate security into digital systems from the design and development stages.
He also urged organisations to strengthen governance and accountability by making cybersecurity a priority at senior management level and incorporating it into enterprise risk management systems.
Dr Agbeti said institutions should invest in incident response plans, business continuity arrangements, regular security assessments, employee training and recovery systems, noting that no digital environment was completely immune to cyberattacks.
Mr Duke Banson, a member of the Ghana Cybersecurity Industry Forum, said stronger collaboration among cybersecurity professionals was necessary to improve the countryās preparedness and resilience.
He said the forum was established to bring together professionals from different cybersecurity associations and affiliations to address fragmentation in the industry and build a coordinated national cybersecurity ecosystem.
Mr Banson said the forum derived its mandate from the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), and provided a platform for professionals to exchange ideas, develop industry standards and strengthen Ghanaās cybersecurity capacity.
He said the forum had established its governance structure, launched a website and registration portal, and held engagements to encourage professionals to join.
Membership was open to students, unemployed persons and established professionals, he said, adding that mentorship programmes would help young people acquire skills to enter the industry.
Ms Julia Asante-Mensah, Vice-President of the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) West Africa Affiliate, said growing dependence on digital technologies made it important for individuals and organisations to understand the risks associated with the systems they used.
She cited disruption to Microsoft Teams and Outlook services as an example of how problems with a major technology platform could affect users and organisations globally.
Mrs Asante-Mensah said technological advancement should be matched by responsible digital behaviour, collaboration and deliberate efforts to develop secure systems.
She urged participants to contribute to strengthening the digital ecosystem and pursue careers in technology out of genuine interest and commitment rather than its growing popularity.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
15 Nov. 2026
Reporter: Eric Appah Marfo
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