Introduction
Cybercrime has become one of the major threats facing a wide spectrum of people
worldwide in the recent past. Cybercrime could be defined as the use of a computer or computer
network to engage in transgressive acts. Primarily, the main motive for this crime is to generate
profit and is carried out by individuals or organizations. However, some cybercriminals carry out
this crime to disable computers, spread illegal information, and infect the network devices with
viruses. There are various forms of cybercrime: identity theft, human trafficking, stealing
intellectual property, malware and ransom attacks, and crypto-jacking. Due to the advance of
technology and the increase of social media platforms, the rate of cybercrime has perpetuated.
As a result of criminal cyberattacks, several businesses, organizations, and individuals
suffer consequential financial losses. A large number of people become victims of the crime,
either knowingly or unknowingly. Cyberattacks can have long-running adverse effects on the
victims. These entail financial losses due to identity theft, damage of reputation and image
brought about by leakage of personal information, and corrupt files due to infection of viruses
(Von Solms & Van Niekerk, 2013) . Also, the deformation of trade and loss of jobs could occur
within organizations affected. Dion, (2011) assert that cybercrime leads to detrimental effects
that ruin human relationships and society.
In Kenya, an increase in the number of cyberattacks has been recorded, making
cybersecurity a very significant concern. According to a report conducted by the National Kenya
Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC), more than 26
million cybercrime threats occurred in 2019. For instance, cyber threats have led to companies
THE ROLE OF KENYAN GOVERNMENT IN FIGHTING CYBERCRIME 3
such as Jumia Kenya and Barclays Bank losing millions of shillings due to cyber fraud and
robbery. In a bid to enhance cybersecurity, the Kenya Information and Communications Act
(1998) obligates the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) to place a framework of
national cybersecurity (Dion, 2011) . For safer cyberspace to exist, the Kenyan government
inaugurated the National KE-CIRT/CC with the responsibility of curbing, detecting and
responding to the numerous cyber threats reported.
Additionally, the agency oversees cybersecurity awareness and campaigns and facilitates
the coherent management of cyberspace resources. Furthermore, the government has enacted
various laws that include the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act No.5 of 2018, Data
Protection Act No. 24 of 2019, Article 31 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 together, and The
Kenya Information and Communication Act of 1998. These laws list a couple of cybercrimes
that attract heavy penalties and fines as punishment for lawbreakers.
Moreover, critical measures and policies that individuals and organizations ought to
comply with, have been assimilated to ensure the protection of private information. Lastly, the
government participates and oversees campaigns that increase awareness and inform people on
preventive measures. These include installing firewalls, enabling automatic updates of antivirus
software, and using strong passwords alongside a robust home network. In the event of a cyber
threat, one is advised to report it to the relevant authorities.
Conclusion
Generally, digital transformation has resulted in cybersecurity being a fundamental
concern among individuals and companies in Kenya and worldwide. Cybersecurity endeavors to
maintain vital features of companies and assets of people against any threats within the internet.
THE ROLE OF KENYAN GOVERNMENT IN FIGHTING CYBERCRIME 4
Therefore, the government remains pledged to safeguard the citizens against any form of
cyberattacks.
THE ROLE OF KENYAN GOVERNMENT IN FIGHTING CYBERCRIME 5
References
Dion, M. (2011). Corruption, fraud, and cybercrime as dehumanizing phenomena. International
Journal of Social Economics.
Von Solms, R., & Van Niekerk, J. (2013). From information security to cybersecurity. computers
& security. 38, 97-102.
Comments
i. Nice grammar
ii. Always should have a title page, formatted as per the samples I sent
iii. In citations are very important, ensure that they are mostly not more than 5 years
ago, i.e. (2015-2020), you can get some from (https://scholar.google.com/)
iv. Avoid citing the conclusion
v. Headers are important too ( vary in terms of formats)