Malawi lack capacity to fight cyber security threats, says Army Commander

Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander General Griffin Supuni-Phiri has said the country is not equipped to deal with cyber crimes.

“As a country, Malawi lacks equipment, expertise and other things , which makes it difficult to combat cyber crimes in the government, military, finance and commerce, which leads to increased information theft and distortions on the internet and in offices,” said Supuni Phiri.

He was speaking at the opening of the African Endeavour 2017 – a senior African military leadership symposium underway in Lilongwe.

The symposium is being co-hosted by MDF and United States (US) military.

In his remarks, Supuni –Phiri said “there is need [for Malawi] to focus on cyber security which is a big piece towards our development.”

Malawi army Commander strongly believes “the strategy of working together” through multinational and combined training will enable MDF to bridge the gap.

US Deputy Commander if Africa Military Operations Lieutenant General James C. Vechery, said cyber crimes is real threat across the globe and that there is need “to bring together all the professionals in order to standardise training and procedures and make sure that all countries are working collectively in developing interoperability among African countries.”

He the symposium will help African countries as they tackle shared challenges on the continent.

US Ambassador to Malawi, Virginia Palmer said strong military partnership between US and Malawi are important.

“These partnerships have been a hallmark of US engagement in Africa for decades and will remain so into the future,” she said.

The symposium which has brought together representatives from more than 45 nations from across Africa, Europe and the US, is being held under the theme Interconnecting Africa through Communications Interoperability.