The Governments of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States will host a Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Workshop in Kinshasa, August 24–26, for the Economic Community of the Central African States. U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, James Swan and a high-level official from the DRC Government will provide remarks along with other officials from both Governments.
As use of Internet and mobile phones expand throughout sub-Saharan Africa, nations are grappling with multiplying cyber threats. This workshop, a partnership between the Governments of the United States and DRC, will address broad issues of cybercrime and cybersecurity while focusing on issues of specific interest to the Central African region such as combating cybercrime; mobile phone security; Internet freedom, access, and affordability; and the development of national computer emergency readiness teams, or CERTs.
Workshop attendees will include government officials from Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Senegal and the United States of America. Regional organizations such as the African Union Commission, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been invited to share their ideas on cybersecurity and cybercrime. Distinguished guests from the Mitre Corporation, the University of Florida and officials from the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce will also share perspectives on cyber issues.
This workshop, the fifth in a series on this critical topic, supports the State Department’s priority of promoting cybersecurity and cybercrime capacity-building efforts across the globe.
Opening and closing ceremonies will be open to interested press outlets. The press is invited on Monday from 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM and on Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
To learn more about this workshop or other cyber policy efforts at the Department of State, please follow us on Twitter @State_Cyber, or contact us via email at SCCI_Press@state.gov.
