The Kenya Kwanza government has accelerated efforts to disrupt cyber threats in the wake of increased attacks and cyber security threats.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, the government is also putting in place robust measures to fix newly discovered vulnerabilities and counter emerging threats to be able to effectively protect Kenyans.
Rosalind Muriithi, Director Internal Audit, Communications Authority of Kenya on Saturday said that the Governments top priority is to safeguard Kenya's digital economy from cyber security challenges.
These challenges she noted included data breaches, hacking attempts, identity theft, and malware attacks amongst others.
Muriithi made the remarks during award ceremony for young techies from various institutions across Nyanza region.
She officiated the ceremony on behalf of the Authority's director General Ezra Chiloba.
She disclosed that over 200 young techies from different learning institutions across the region have benefited from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Cyber security Bootcamp and Hackathon series 2023 program held in Kisumu.
The bootcamp and Hackathons are held annually by the authority.
"It is crucial that our skilling efforts is able to help us build a skilled workforce that is capable of effectively protecting and defending digital systems and networks," Muriithi said.
The training for the students is a joint initiative done in Partnership with Huawei and the Kenya Cyber security and Forensics Association (KCSFA).
It seeks to address the growing need for cyber security professionals in the emerging digital landscape.
According to CA, cyber-attacks directed to Kenya stood at 7.7 million as of 2018.
"In 2023, the attacks have sky-rocked to in excess of 444 million," she added.
The director said Kenya ranks among the top three most targeted countries in the region, alongside South Africa and Nigeria.
The hackathon series is part of the ongoing initiative by the CA and Huawei to develop local cyber security capacity towards safeguarding the Kenyan digital economy as it grows.
"Our country has been at the forefront of adopting emerging technologies and is a leading Nation globally on matters technology, innovations and internet penetration," she said.
She noted that the country finds itself at a unique situation that demands more localised solutions to the equally unique challenges that it faces.
It is because of the challenges that Kenya Cyber Security & Forensics Association (KCSFA) has partnered with the National cyber security incident response and coordination centre (KE-CIRT/CC), under the Communications Authority of Kenya to deliver the Hackathons at the regional and national levels.
According to Njoroge Kinyanjui of KCSFA, the Hackathons are by design, both training grounds and skills harnessing platform for future cyber security experts targeting University and college students.
Huawei Kenya IT Talent Academy Manager Venessa Kawira said it is hoped that the initiative will inspire young innovators to select a discipline related to cyber security as they progress with career in technology and keep the country safe in the cyberspace.
"As Kenya endures its digital transformation, it is evident that collaborative efforts from both the public and private sectors are critical in securing a digital nation and protect individuals and businesses from cyber threats,'" she added.
"As cyber-attacks continue to rise, there is a call for strong public-private partnerships to improve national security and advance innovation that protects critical systems and data."
Fredrick Wahome, who is the Vice president of KCSFA said he firmly believe that collaborations like that of CA, Huawei and other partners will play a pivotal role in nurturing talent and young Kenyans will get better access to skills that are more relevant in this fast-changing digital age.
"This prestigious event provides a platform for participants to showcase their expertise and knowledge in the cyber security domain," he noted.
CA Huawei and KCSFA will be holding the hackathon in various counties in the coming months with Nyeri County hosting the next edition.
The top teams from the hackathon and bootcamp regional finals will converge in Mombasa for the highly anticipated October Cyber security month national Conference which is held annually to create awareness on cyber security.
The boot camp, which is an intense training activity over a short period, covers the Huawei Certification e-learning Course on Cyber Security, virtual lab exercises, and mentorship from experts within the field.
These jointly structured sessions and courses are geared at preparing participants for a successful career in cyber security.