steven maseka 
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has announced that the country will be joining the global community in observing the 2024 October Cybersecurity Awareness Month (OCSAM).
This month-long event, marked by both the public and private sectors, aims to raise awareness on cyber safety and cybersecurity through a variety of activities.
This will be the fourth edition that Kenya has participated in OCSAM, with the CA leading efforts to enhance the country’s national cyber readiness. In the previous year, the government launched a Hackathon and Bootcamp series in collaboration with Huawei Kenya and the Kenya Cybersecurity Forensics Association.
According to the CA, the number and severity of cyberattacks against Kenya’s infrastructure sectors have risen significantly over the last few years. In the fiscal year ended June 2024, the country experienced over 3.5 billion attacks, with more than 90% exploiting system vulnerabilities.
“System vulnerabilities remain the weak link with increased use of Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, many of which are intrinsically unsafe,” the CA stated.
“Other weaknesses include incorrect set-up of systems, outdated software and the changes brought about by emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI).”
As part of this year’s OCSAM, Kenya and the United States, in collaboration with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), plan to hold a regional event -the African Regional Cyber Sector Collaboration Symposium – to enhance information-sharing frameworks and build a more resilient cyberspace in Africa.
