Cyber Security Conference Event 

The 7th Joint COMESA Meeting of Transport and Communications, Information Technology and Energy was held in Kampala, Uganda in September 2013 amidst a background of unprecedented changes in the use and impact of information and communication technology (ICT) in the world. Within the last decade or so the development of ICT has had a phenomenal impact in virtually every aspect of the human life, affecting small and large nations alike. Nation states as well as regional economic blocks have therefore put in place mechanisms to harness the potential in ICT for their social and economic development.

The use of ICT, however, has inherent security threats. Unlike in the physical world, it is very easy and tempting for criminals to use ICT to commit crimes that are difficult to detect. Cybercrimes such as financial fraud or deliberate damage of critical information infrastructure can have a devastating effect. In the recent past, cases of terrorist attacks using cyberspace have become a worrying trend. It is against this background that the COMESA meeting in Kampala devoted time to analyze the security aspect of ICT use and to review the steps the member states have taken to combat the menace. It is also against this background that Kenya, agreed to host a follow up Regional COMESA meeting on Cyber Security in the month of November 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya.