By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) in Ghana is facing growing threats from data infiltration, supply chain attacks and AI-driven deepfakes, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has warned.
Alex Awere-Kyere, Senior Manager in charge of Critical Information Infrastructure at the Cyber Security Authority, disclosed this during a cyber capacity-building project in Accra on Monday, August 10, 2026. He warned that attackers were becoming increasingly sophisticated in targeting systems that keep the country’s essential services running and urged the media to help safeguard CII.
He said CII covers sectors such as energy, finance, health, telecommunications, transport and government digital platforms, among others. A breach in any of these areas, he noted, could disrupt public services and pose risks to national security.
According to Mr Awere-Kyere, data infiltration involves hackers gaining unauthorised access to sensitive government and corporate databases, while supply chain attacks target third-party vendors and software providers to compromise larger systems.
He added that AI-driven threats and deepfakes were increasingly being used to create fake audio, videos and documents to deceive the public or manipulate institutions.
Mr Awere-Kyere said protecting CII required more than technical solutions, stressing that the media had a critical role to play in strengthening national cybersecurity.
Role of the media
Speaking on the role of the media in safeguarding CII, he identified four key responsibilities:
- Denying attackers a free blueprint: Avoiding detailed reporting on vulnerabilities that could provide useful information to criminals.
- Protecting victims’ privacy: Refraining from publishing personal data or sensitive information about individuals and organisations affected by cyber incidents.
- Preventing public panic and misinformation: Verifying information before publication and providing accurate context during cyber incidents.
- Avoiding amplification of cyber extortion: Refraining from giving undue publicity to ransom demands or attackers seeking attention.
He added that as cyber threats continue to evolve, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence tools, journalists and media houses must also build their capacity to detect misinformation and avoid becoming unwitting tools for cybercriminals.
Participants in the capacity-building project were taken through best practices for covering cybersecurity incidents, including verifying sources, knowing the appropriate number to call — 292 — consulting experts and balancing the public’s right to know with national security considerations.
