Following recent threats of cyber-attacks to online businesses across the country and indeed globally, data privacy has become a vital area of interest. Governments world over are beginning to adopt stringent measures to protect online businesses which deal in data as a key resource.

It has therefore become imperative for the government of Ghana to ensure a more secured cyber space for government and private businesses operating within Ghanaian jurisdiction.

The Government of Ghana first launched the Electronic justice (E-Justice) module under the E-governance architecture put in place on 20th March, 2019 to fast track judicial cases and court proceedings for a better justice delivery system.

This meant, a safer cyber infrastructure for the E- justice platform under the E-governance project.

The Ministry of Communication has therefore set up a Public Key Infrastructure Architecture to provide another layer of authentication and security for all digital transactions which will include digital certificates and digital documents to be utilized in the e-justice infrastructure.

The National Information Technology Agency (NITA), an agency under the Communication Ministry has the Certification Authority to implement and enforce the provision of the Electronic Transactions Act.

NITA has the certificate to manage and protect critical and sensitive data using the Public Key Infrastructure in accordance with Clause 30(1) of the Electronic Transactions Act 2008 (Act 772).

Launching the project, the sector Minister, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, was happy, the Public Key Infrastructure would provide the means and technology to protect electronic transactions and reduce incidences of electronic tampering and fraud.

She noted that the platform will provide the means to electronically sign documents and provide authentication through secured verification processes.

Demonstrating how the system works, she indicated that it encompasses two keys mathematically linked systems making it impossible to calculate the private key from the public key.

She further explained, that an individual cannot have both keys at the same time hence the private key is kept by the individual and is never shared by anyone over the internet whiles the public key is stored in a directory as part of the digital certificate.

She concluded that “Once Ghana publicizes its public key infrastructure it will help improve the country’s standing internationally and enhance e-commerce transactions, so that, globally transactions emanating from Ghana will have a seal of approval’’.