Microsoft partners AGA to build cyber security capacity in Africa

The partnership is also aimed at capacity building focusing on cybercrime and other related cross-border criminal activity like money laundering.

The partnership was signed during the Commonwealth Secretariat Conference on Cyber Crime in Africa.

Mr Karen White, AGA’s Executive Director, in a statement issued in Accra, said AGA was committed to building capacity and exchanging knowledge with African governments, justice, and law enforcement agencies throughout Africa.

He said, “with aligned missions to support capacity building initiatives in cybercrime investigation and prosecution in Africa, AGA is proud to partner with Microsoft.”

The Executive Director said the organisation was constantly seeking out meaningful partnerships as part of their commitment to continue expanding and improving our global training programs.

Mr Markus Green, a Member of the AGA Board, said “The increased use of cyberspace and access to the internet in Africa has brought its challenges to the law and justice sector.”

He said the collaboration was a timely partnership that supported an urgent need to build capacity to support partners in the investigation and prosecution of cyberspace criminal activity.

The Board Member said expert projections on global cybercrime damages were US$6 trillion by the end of 2021, with a 15 per cent growth rate per year reaching US$10.5 trillion by 2025.

“Organizations in Africa are increasingly transacting online, and e-commerce markets are expanding, and Cybercrime presents a major setback to these strides and threatens to reverse the gains made by the rapidly growing uptake of technology,” he added.

Mr Mark Ihimoyan, Microsoft’s Regional Director, Emerging Markets (Engineering) said they were indeed excited for the partnership with AGA to enhance the exchange of information, strategies, and training to prevent, regulate, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime in Africa.