Assahafa.com
The Kingdom of Morocco, true to its African vocation, will continue to support all initiatives aimed at enhancing the protection of information systems, developing skills and strengthening the continent’s cyber resilience, General Abdellah Boutrig, Vice President of the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA) and Director General of the General Directorate for for the Security of Information Systems (DGSSI), said on Monday in Rabat.
“This approach is fully in line with the vision of cooperation and solidarity championed by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, in favor of a more integrated, more resilient Africa that is in control of its own development,” he stressed at the opening of the ANCA-CERT Executive Cybersecurity Leadership Program, the operational arm of the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities.
In this regard, General Abdellah Boutrig noted that national cybersecurity agencies are called upon to play a central role, particularly as they constitute the pillars of cyber governance in their respective countries and the “leading actors of the continental cooperation that we seek to strengthen.”
Within this framework, ANCA is intended to play a unifying role, providing a platform for harmonizing approaches, bringing expertise closer together and promoting joint initiatives serving the interests of the continent, he added.
Recalling that cybersecurity has become a major issue for economic development and digital trust, he pointed out that as “our administrations and economies undergo transformation, our collective ability to prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats becomes an essential factor of resilience.”
This resilience, he noted, is “inseparable from our digital sovereignty,” emphasizing that States must possess the capabilities, skills and governance mechanisms enabling them to protect their information systems, strategic data and critical infrastructure.
Moreover, he stressed that no country can tackle all these challenges on its own, as cyber threats transcend borders and require coordinated responses, hence the particular importance of African cooperation.
“Information sharing, exchange of experience, development of common capacities and solidarity among our institutions are key drivers for building a secure and resilient African cyberspace,” he stressed.
The expected progress requires the convergence of efforts from all stakeholders-national institutions, regional organizations, partners and private-sector actors, General Abdellah Boutrig observed, adding that the success of ANCA-CERT or ANCA depends not only on the structures put in place, but also on the active involvement of its members within a shared dynamic.
As part of its mission, ANCA-CERT has developed an ambitious action plan aimed at supporting the development of cyber capacities across African States and strengthening continental cooperation, he said, noting that the Executive Cybersecurity Leadership Program represents an important step toward translating this ambition into reality.
“Africa possesses talent, expertise and considerable potential. By pursuing our efforts in cooperation and capacity building, we can jointly create a safer, more resilient and more sovereign digital environment for the benefit of our citizens and economies,” he concluded.
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