By Bakah Derick
The National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC) is back in the North West region for the second time in less than 10 months for what can arguably be described as an offensive against cybercrime. For three days from Wednesday 22 June 2022, ANTIC authorities and their team of experts will be sharing knowledge with state personnel from regional and divisional delegations as well as related state agencies in an effort to combat rising cybercrime in the region.
Talking to www.hilltopvoices.com on the sidelines of the ongoing seminar, the regional branch manager for ANTIC, Ngwang Yufenyuy Landry admitted that cybercrime in the North West was on the rise adding that there was need for something to be done reason why his institution started with the capacity building seminars.
"From the studies we did prior to the last seminar, we discovered that cybercrime in the North West was really appalling, was really rising and that is what prompted us to start with the last edition. Our role and our aim is to try to curb that from these seminars, teachings and doctrining, maybe cybercrime could be reduced. We know it will be difficult to eradicate it but a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. We can start from somewhere." Ngwang Yufenyuy Landry said
From Secondary schools and Universities targeted by ANTIC during the first seminar in October 2021, the regional branch manager says the feedback has been positive.
"What prompted us to have this other seminar was the positive feedback we got from the last one which if the feedback wasn't positive I don't think we would have engulf into doing this. The turnout was excellent and what we concluded from the feedback was that there was need for more of such seminars and why we did not go back to the same target was because we wanted to cover a large scope before changing the theme. This explains why we maintained the topic but change the target." Ngwang explained.
The armed conflict in the North West has been blamed for the rise in school dropout. These dropouts have resulted to several crimes amongst them cybercrime. With the objectives of raising awareness in cybersecurity, fight against cybercrime, amongst others, ANTIC hopes to reduced both the perpetrators largely youths and the victims mostly state personnel.
According to the General Manager of ANTIC, Prof Ebot Ebot Enaw, government has taken steps at making Cameroon's cyberspace safe and secured. These steps amongst others include enactment of the law on electronic communications and that on cyber security and cybercrime in December 2010. The law empowers ANTIC to secure Cameroon's cyberspace via activities such as Computer Incident Response Team, security audits, cryptography and electronic certification and the management of internet resources.
