Combating cybercrime in Ghana

Introduction

Cybercrime is a pressing issue in Ghana, with its scope and effects growing steadily. This book seeks to explore the challenges of cybercrime in Ghana and to provide valuable insights into the strategies needed to effectively combat it. The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has reported that in 2020 alone, 1,097 cases of cyber fraud were reported at the Cybercrime Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), resulting in a huge loss of $19 Million.

In recent years, Ghana has unfortunately been a victim of large financial losses due to cybercrime. The country has reported significant amounts of money being lost to various forms of online fraud and other cybercriminal activities. In this explanation, we will delve into the details of how Ghana lost $35 million in 2016, $69 million in 2017, $98 million in 2018, $105 million in 2019, $77 million in 2020, an alarming $97 million in 2021 to fraudsters, Ghana lost $77 million dollars to fraudsters in 2022 and Ghana recorded US$105 million in 2023 on cybercrime as the year is left with three months to end.

With reports revealing the existence of over 4,000 flagged incidents under investigation as April 2021 approaches, this highlights a major issue facing Ghana today. The authors present an overview of Ghanaian laws regarding cybercrime and delve deep into the complexities of the issue, providing a comprehensive guide for understanding, preventing, and responding to cybercrimes both domestically and on an international level. The authors also discuss innovative solutions for protecting individuals, businesses, governments, and other organizations from digital threats. Combating Cybercrime in Ghana is a must-read for all stakeholders seeking effective tools to fight this menace that has become so pervasive in our society today.

The prosecution of cyber criminals is hindered by several obstacles, such as the difficulty in pinpointing where the crime was conducted, identifying the accountable party, and enforcing international laws. Moreover, many offenses leave no traceable evidence due to the geographical separation between victims and perpetrators. This complicates law enforcement’s ability to capture and conclusively prosecute those responsible. Furthermore, as advancements in technology create new avenues through which criminal activity can be conducted, current regulations may not be able to keep abreast with these developments. As such, it is frequently difficult for prosecutors to seek legal action against cyber criminals.

The difficulty of obtaining admissible legal evidence can be immense. In most cases, simply pinpointing someone’s identity and arresting them is not enough for a court of law; the proof must also be legally sound and valid to remain in court. Collecting indisputable evidence regarding cybercrime is an even bigger challenge, since logs or other forms of data collected often fail to stand up to scrutiny from defence lawyers, who often attempt to discredit the credibility of this data to defend their clients.

When a cybercriminal is arrested, there are often computer professionals and law enforcement officers working together to ensure the evidence being taken against them will stand up in court. Good evidence requires skill and knowledge. In this case, a lawyer may ask questions such as: How can we be sure that the log file has not been tampered with? Who had access to it? Is the timestamp accurate? Can IP addresses be faked? Was the log file originally saved on write-once media? What has been the chain of custody for this log file since it was created until now? What experience do members of the computer team have when gathering legal evidence? and so on. To avoid these complications, we need to protect ourselves from failing victims to this unfortunate circumstance.

Objectives of the book “Combating Cybercrime in Ghana

1. Explain the various types of cyber-crimes, including their definitions and consequences.
2. Identify and analyse both local and international legal and regulatory measures to address cybercrime in Ghana.
3. Discuss best practices for preventing, detecting, investigating, and responding to cyber-crimes in Ghana.
4. Provide an overview of trends related to cybercrime in Ghana and offer solutions for staying ahead of emerging threats.
5. Explore potential collaborations between industry, academia, government agencies and civil society organizations to combat cybercrime in Ghana more effectively.

Table of Content

Introduction

Objectives of the book

Chapter. 1: Introduction to Cybercrime

Define cybersecurity.

Primary Principles focus of cyber security.

Cyber Challenges We Face Today

Types of cyber scams/frauds in Ghana

Cyber fraud

Cybercrime

Identify the appropriate task of cybersecurity and why it is vital.

Explain how business stakeholders play a role in cybersecurity.

Develop recognisable with cybersecurity tools, environments, and dependencies.

Distinguish developments in cybersecurity issues and security techniques.

Cyber Security fundamentals

Core cyber security principles

Top business cyber security threats

Detecting weaknesses in computer systems

Effects of cybercrimes on users and organizations

Online protection methods for personal devices

Chapter 2: Legislation Related to Cybercrime in Ghana

Overview of legislation related to cybercrime in Ghana.

Comparison between criminal law and civil law with regards to online offences

Ghana laws to combat cyber hacking.

Security measures that can prevent hacking.

Prevention and control of cyber terrorism

Ghana Cyber Crime Unit

The Cyber Crimes Unit

Functions and Responsibilities

Digital Forensics

Cyber Intelligence

Some of the Cyber security ACTs in Ghana

Cybersecurity Act, 2020, Act 1038

(a) Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

(b) Evidence Act, 1975 (N.R.C.D. 323).

(c) Foreign Exchange Act, 2006 (Act 723).

(d) Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2008 (Act 749).

(e) Anti-Terrorism Act, 2008 (Act 762).

(f) Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772).

(g) Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775).

(h) Economic and Organised Crime Office Act, 2010 (Act 804).

(I) Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2010 (Act 807).

(j) Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843).

(k) Payment Systems and Services Act, 2019 (Act 987).

Chapter 3: Cybercrimes in Ghana

Steps to prevent cybercrime.

Various techniques used by hackers to get to you via the internet.

Laws relating to Cyber fraud in Ghana.

Hacking

Various techniques used by hackers.

Various techniques used to prevent hackers.

Chapter 4: Preventing Cyber Crimes in Ghana 

The procedures for reporting cases of cybercrime within the legal system in Ghana

Strategies for protecting sensitive data such as financial information or user logins.

Strategies for educating users about how to protect themselves from cyber threats.

Critical Security Controls are preventive measures.

Best cyber security practices

Methods of Protecting Against These Threats

To defend against these risks and initiative-taking security measures

Data Protection Strategies

Differentiate discrepancies among threat, attack, and breach.

Protecting against or creating backdoors

Denying access through firewalls

Protecting computer systems from eavesdropping, spoofing, tampering, and phishing

Securing information systems from theft, damage, and information loss

Protecting information on computer systems from disruption or misdirection

Categorize assets, risks, threats, vulnerabilities, and exploits.

The relationship between threats, threat actors, vulnerabilities, and exploits

Use issue setting to detect threat actor motivations.

Identify security threats applicable to important organizational assets.

Use standard frameworks to assess threats, identify risks, and prioritize.

Identify the categories of a cyber threat.

Threat Categories:

Threat Detection & Response Protocols:

Reported Crimes

Determine the phase of a cyber-attack.

Chapter 5: Mobile Security

Malware Prevention Techniques in iOS/Android Platforms

Platform Security Sandboxing

Secure App Development Processes

Best Practices in Mobile Storage Encryption

BYOD Policies

Wireless Network Protection Protocols Advanced Malware Protection Strategies

Chapter 6: Finding Security Vulnerabilities

Diverse types of vulnerabilities in a system

Fixing Cyber Security Vulnerabilities

The solutions for fixing cyber-Security Vulnerabilities include:

Using industry resources like MITRE CVE framework

Leverage the MITRE ATTACK framework to understand attack methods.

Configure and launch scans to find vulnerabilities.

The steps required to conduct a penetration test.

Validate scan results through manual testing and application of business context.

Prioritize security gaps.

Recommend remediation strategies:

Managing cyber incidents step

Chapter 7: Response & Recovery from Cyber Attacks  

Steps needed to respond promptly after a security breach has occurred.

Preparing an incident response plan prior to any security incidents occurring

Identification & implementation of best practices & procedures during the recovery phase

Reviewing existing policies & making necessary changes

Chapter 8: Cyber Security Tips for companies and Individuals

Why employees are often the weak link in your business’s defences—and how to empower them to be more diligent.

Additional layers of protection beyond anti-virus software should include.

How ransomware and cryptocurrency mining work

The best ways of creating strong passwords.

How to spot fraudulent emails

Ways to safeguard computers, servers, smartphones, Wi-Fi routers, and other connected devices like printers, photocopiers, and switches.

Developing a Security Plan for Home and Business Systems

Securing physical devices

Securing physical devices such as computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Computers:

Tablets:

Smartphones:

Installing valid anti-virus software and keeping it updated regularly.

Backing up data on an external hard drive or cloud storage service.

How cybercriminals Steal Data through charging cable

Cyber Security Guide for Parents to keep kids safe online.

Web Application Hacking Tools

Signs that a website has been hacked.

What to do when your website is hacked

Cybersecurity mistakes to avoid.

Sextortion Scams

Straightforward way to keep your non-technical employees up to speed on how to keep your systems and information safe and secure.

How to avoid common backdoors for hackers

How to protect yourself from online shopping scams

Biggest Risks of Client-Side Scanning

Injection attacks

Honeypots

why you should not use the same password for all your email, social media, and online accounts.

How can we better protect ourselves against scammers in disguise?

Why Cybercriminals are trying to exploit a crisis, which is more applicable in the present scenario. Any unsafe banking practices, like using unsecured public Wi-Fi can result in cyberattacks.

How to protect yourself from online shopping scams

“Privacy is not reserved for those who can afford it…it belongs to those who are motivated to create it for themselves.”

A straightforward way to keep your non-technical employees up to speed on how to keep your systems and information safe and secure.

Steps to take to recover lost data.

What to do if your account ever gets hacked

Hardening Windows

Seven stages being deployed by hackers to get accessed to your computer or information.

No matter the type of code sent to your phone, *please do not send such code back to anyone and do not respond to it! *

Best defence against cybercrimes is awareness.

Ransomware remains the most common form of malware in 2022.

WhatsApp cybercrime awareness

How to protect yourself from E-wallet fraud

Trojan Horse

How to keep your “passwords” Safe?

Stealing data through charging cables

Security Tips for Mobile Phone

Identifying Fake Messages / Mail / Links and Malicious APPS