08 Jun 2014

Cybercrime and Cyber Security Workshop serves as a suitable platform to exchange views and learning from best practices, policies and techniques for investigations, collection and analysis of evidence of cybercrime, especially for purposes of criminal proceedings.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, Ms Segakweng Tsiane said  this when giving opening remarks at the Cybercrime and Cyber Security Workshop at Lansmore Conference Centre in Gaborone recently.

Ms Tsiane said the workshop was meant to advance regional cooperation and sector reform in cyber security, saying it presents a good opportunity with regard to cyber security partnership between their respective governments.

She also noted that, as a region many participating countries continue to develop laws and procedures aimed at improving the ability to ensure the security and the fight against cybercrime, including systems for effective investigations and prosecutions of such crimes.

She said preventive measures are generally more cost effective than remedial strategies, adding that several fora and high level dialogues have been held specifically on the subject matter at the national, regional and global levels.

“In the just ended Commonwealth and Attorneys General Meeting hosted by Botswana three weeks ago, the ministers and attorneys general from the Commonwealth recognised the importance of national, regional and global cybercrime initiative as the Commonwealth,” she added.

Ms Tsiane explained that the initiative recognises that an effective response to cybercrime must be holistic, citing that it should be formed from many elements, including comprehensive legislation, special enforcement capability, public awareness and safety.

Furthermore, she noted that the initiative must be a multi-stakeholder that is in addition to law enforcement and the judiciary, must involve regulators, communication service providers, application providers and members of the public, and that the initiative must embody the whole-of-government approach that ensures cross ministerial engagements and cooperation.

Ms Tsiane outlined the following strategies put in place by the government in dealing with cyber security such as the drafting and reviewing of laws such as Counter terrorism Bill, Proceeds and Instruments of serious Crime Bill, Human trafficking Bill, Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.

She highlighted the expectation that the workshop should in the final analysis equip participants with skills to link objective outcomes and learn from best practices that exist in our respective countries and experiences of the United States of America in dealing with cyber-crime using a systematic approach.

The three day Sub Saharan African Cyber security and cyber-crime workshop co-hosted by the United states of America called together representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, the Office of the President and the Southern African development Community .

It addressed broad issues of cyber-crime and cyber security while focusing on the discussions on issues of specific interest to the sub-region such as combating cyber-crime, mobile cellular security, Internet access and affordability, Internet freedom and development of national computer emergency readiness teams . ENDS