Most institutions rely on nothing more than simple passwords and off-the-shelf anti-virus software to secure their networks.
In recent times, websites of sensitive government departments including the National Police Service have at different times been attacked and defaced.
As government automate continues, there is a need to build very strong firewalls around its networks.
A survey of Kenyan institutions’ preparedness for cyber attacks shows that the majority are sitting ducks, deploying minimal safeguards to ward off intrusions into their networks.
The survey, undertaken by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the IT sector regulator shows that most institutions rely on nothing more than simple passwords and off-the-shelf anti-virus software to secure their networks.
This should be a big wakeup call— especially for public institutions holding troves of sensitive information. The stakes could not be higher, as demonstrated by recent local and international events.
The ongoing inquiry into alleged hacking of US democrats’ IT system that is said to have been intended to influence the American elections is one of the recent high-profile examples of the dangers of having weak IT network security.
There are allegations that the leading French presidential candidate could have also fallen prey to hackers with Russian links.
The WikiLeaks dossier, which revealed many secret communication cables of US government diplomats, demonstrated that hackers have the knack to hit at the most sensitive targets.
Closer home, the websites of sensitive government departments including the National Police Service have at different times been attacked and defaced.
There have been minimal disclosures as to the information lost when the websites fall under the control of the hackers.
But one case that is pending before courts, in which a hacker is accused of having stolen an estimated Sh4 billion from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), shows that the danger is real.
As IT systems have gotten sophisticated, so have the hackers. Even though it is nearly impossible to eliminate cyber attacks, it is a realistic target to keep the risk at a minimal level.
As government automate continues, there is a need to build very strong firewalls around its networks.
All government institutions and private ones such as banks that hold sensitive information must invest in robust IT security systems and get right talent.
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