ECOWAS Commission Hands Over Cybercrime-Fighting Equipment to Combat Financial Crimes in Burkina Faso

Strengthening Cybersecurity and Fighting Cybercrime

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in partnership with the European Union, Expertise France, and the Government of Burkina Faso, has launched a major initiative to combat cybercrime in the country’s finance industry. The project, dubbed “Organised Crime: West African Response on Cybersecurity and the Fight against Cybercrime” (OCWAR-C), aims to strengthen cybersecurity and fight against financial losses caused by cyber attacks.

Digital Investigation Laboratory Launched

As part of this effort, the ECOWAS Commission has handed over equipment for a digital investigation laboratory in Burkina Faso. The lab will enable the country’s authorities to investigate security incidents and combat cybercrime more effectively. The launch was followed by an interactive awareness campaign on cybersecurity in Burkina Faso.

Malicious Actors Exploiting Internet Vulnerabilities

According to Dr. Zouli Bonkoungou, Commissioner of Telecommunications and Information Technologies at the ECOWAS Commission, the increasing use of digital technologies has also led to the presence of more malicious actors who exploit internet vulnerabilities for their own gain through cyber attacks such as phishing, disinformation, and malware infiltration.

• For example, one Member State encountered 3.8 million malware attacks and 16.8 million potentially unwanted application (PUA) detections for the period January to July 2020.
• Cybercrime costs the global economy more than $500 billion every year, with Burkina Faso suffering financial losses estimated at over 1 billion CFA francs according to 2020 statistics from the Central Brigade Against Cybercrime.

Support from ECOWAS Commission and European Union

The Minister of Digital Economy, Posts and Digital Transformation, Ms. Hadja Fatimata Ouattara, expressed gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission and the European Union for their support.

• Burkina Faso is one of three pilot countries for the implementation of a digital forensic laboratory.
• The specialized equipment handed over to the Ministry of Security will enable Burkina Faso to increase its capacity to investigate security incidents and fight cybercrime.

Initiative Marked with Handing-Over Ceremony

The initiative was marked with a symbolic handing-over ceremony followed by an interactive workshop where partners from ministries, agencies, and experts from Expertise France discussed current problems in the fight against cybercrime with the public. A total of three countries - Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Liberia - will benefit from this pilot phase of transfer of digital investigation equipment funded by ECOWAS.