Speakers, government officials and solution providers all arrive for the inaugural pan-African cyber security summit.
The Africa Cyber Defence Summit, Africa’s largest cyber security gathering, is taking place in Nairobi at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on July 9-10,2018. The platform is hosted by Kenya’s Ministry of ICT and co-organised by Naseba and Africa Cyberspace Network (A.C.N) with support from Kenya Airways, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Communication Authority of Kenya and The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis.
Gathering more than 750 global and African delegates, the summit will host senior government figures including Ministers and Governors, as well as esteemed names from academia, and private sector leaders in the role of IT Director and Heads of Information Security.
Under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s Cyber Security Dialogue”, the 2-day summit will feature a plenary track with keynotes and panel discussions from cyber security experts. The summit will then break off into 3 simultaneous tracks designed to address specific cyber security challenges and opportunities in the private sector (Corporate track), public sector (Government track) and academic sector (Academia track). Some of the topics to be discussed at the summit include tackling ransomware in Africa, ways on securing Africa’s critical infrastructures and the role of academia in cyber security.
The summit’s keynote opening address was delivered by the Principal Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Mr. Jerome Ochieng and special guest Hon. Minister Yogida Sawmynaden, Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mauritius.
Some of the other 30 confirmed speakers at the summit include:
- Katherine Getao, ICT Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, Kenya;
- Francis Wangusi, Director General, Communications Authority, Kenya;
- Kasirim Nwuke, Chief – New Technologies & Innovation, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Ethiopia;
- Uku Särekanno, Dy. Director General & Head of Cybersecurity Branch, Information Systems Authority, Estonia;
ICT Secretary, Dr. Katherine Getao, “It is with great pride that Kenya hosts this summit. Not only is Kenya a leading force in Africa’s continued battle against cyber-crime, but we are constantly advancing our capabilities and using technology to solve some of the greatest challenges any modern nation can face.
“In order to do this successfully, our digital infrastructure must be robust, agile and, above all secure. By gathering these leading figures from the world of cyber defence here in Kenya, we are demonstrating the progress we have made and the bright future cyber defence has here in Africa,” she added.
In addition to keynotes and panel discussions, the summit also features an exhibition hall where delegates can effectively source and evaluate the latest cyber security solutions suitable for their respective enterprises. Trend Micro, KPMG, DarkTrace, Fortinet, Forcepoint, Sophos and Verint are some of the solution providers that delegates can conduct one-to-one consultations with.
Naveen Bharadwaj, Production Director of Naseba said: “Africa represents the biggest growth opportunities in cyber security today. Naseba has helped facilitate discussions in other emerging markets and we are proud to partner with A.C.N in supporting the Kenyan government with a landmark initiative like this.”
Visit www.cyfenceafrica.go.ke for more information