Seems Hon Patrick Chinamasa will always be on our lips, then as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and now even more as the Minister of Cyber Security, Threat Detection and Mitigation.
It’s just a few weeks back that we were expressing our disdain over his famous “…..I am not saying cash is not being sold, but I do not know about it because I would not be there when people sell it” statement. And now that he has been put in charge of something virtual, can’t help but wonder how much more will he ‘not know’.
Anyway, let’s forget about the face on the ministry but focus on the ministry itself (we might need do a different one for that). So what does it mean to have a ministry solely dedicated to Cyber Security, Threat Detection and Mitigation? Is it even necessary for us?
It’s good because we have a background story or at least what we think to be; the WhatsApp messages that led to the panic buying that led to the hike in prices that led to the desire to create a cyber-bill and now clearly leading to the creation of a new ministry altogether. But well, that is just the official story. We have our own sentiments that say No, the story doesn’t start at WhatsApp, WhatsApp only communicated an already existing story, maybe blew it out of proportion a bit, but still it didn’t initiate the story. But either way, we are here now. We now have a ministry of Cyber Security.
Because of the reason above, plus the response from the government to that speculation, and of course the memes that were created soon after the new appointments, the expressed sentiments suggest that this new ministry is all about social media; but is it? Yes of course there’s a lot of social media involved in this, but I surely hope with everything in me that it’s not just that otherwise this development would just yet again be some waste of resources.
But because I somehow want to believe that it is a necessary ministry, I will try to justify it.
Remember how the ministry of ICT has been on about digitisation, innovation and technology (even generating an Innovation Fund which we still waiting for the results by the way). So maybe this is a sure sign that indeed we about to really go all digital. Had that not been the case, pretty sure one ministry would have been enough to deal with cyber security, after all even ransomware like WannaCry discriminate against us since we really are not big online.
Or. Since banks are going paperless, there is now need to invest more in cyber security. Well, right now we might not have much to protect in our banks but maybe the ministry needs to exist now just so that it’s well versed with these issues once things normalise maybe? (yes they will, however long it takes).
Also, the biggest threats are now online more than they are in the physical space. But then again, that’s a first world problem and we only in the third world (isn’t it a good thing it only ends at three?). So maybe we are being too ambitious.
Gees, I’ve tried justifying the ministry but I can’t seem to have good enough reasons. Maybe you could help?
3 comments
how about putting the ministry as adept under defence!
We need Cyber Security recognition, but now at ministrial level, let alone created for a person with no background in it.
If it has become a national issue, it would have need enough to create a specialist unit, like JOC which colleborates cyber security between different ministries to make it more effective from detection(by specialist professional) then arresting the issue(meaning putting in place measures to compat it via arresting and prosecuting offenders)
I will wait for the day Chinamasa will stand up and articulate the position of his ministry, l bet Chamisa is rubbing his hands with pleasure.
“….things normalise maybe? (yes they will, however long it takes).”
yeah, I like your optimism. Exactly my mood 25 years ago!
“Also, the biggest threats are now online more than they are in the physical space. ….”
I’m sure this is an opinion not necessarily fact? I believe that criminals of all sorts have acquired or are acquiring online presence to bolster the physical damage.