The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) will soon open regional forensic laboratories under the Zambia Police to help curb cyber crime.
ZICTA Cyber Security Manager Choolwe Nalubamba said currently, it was hard for police to track down cyber criminals due to lack of knowledge and infrastructure.
Mr. Nalubamba said this in a presentation to the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communication during a ZICTA workshop in Lusaka today.
He explained that the regional laboratories were meant to help scale up security of internet users countrywide.
Mr. Nalubamba noted that currently, law enforcement agencies were responding slowly to cyber crime.
He revealed that ZICTA has also formed a Computer Incidence Response Team (CIRT) which conducts awareness programmes on internet safety.
Meanwhile, ZICTA Licensing Manager Isaac Nonde said only 5,000 post boxes were currently in existence countrywide.
These post boxes are serving a population of about 12 million people.
Mr. Nonde said ZICTA has also embarked on a project to replace broken street name posters and to number houses that have no house numbers.
He said some human settlements did not have any street names or house numbers, making it difficult to effectively delivery services to such places.
Mr. Nonde also explained that the project will be done in two phases.
He said the first phase, which is the pilot phase currently being done in Lusaka at the cost of KR 5 million, will be completed in the next 60 days.
He said another KR5 million will be spent in implementing the project on the remaining part of Lusaka which will not be covered in phase one.
Mr. Nonde said KR4 million will be used for the similar project in Livingstone.
He said ZICTA will have to source for more funds to roll out the project to other parts of the country.
Mr. Nonde said the exercise will help improve the response of emergency systems in the country, adding that it will also help revive the physical delivery of mail and parcels.
ZANIS
Why so that this draconian govt can sniff internet commenters out and imprison us? Ba ZICTA dont become pawns like the police.
Iwe it happens in a lost of countries
If you put measures people will always develop or come up with counter measure. Hope you will be up to date with technology.
This is dangerous, this is very dangerous, where is parliament on this, oh wait. they don’t know what this means do they? Can someone please tell me what cyber crimes have been committed in Zambia if ever, if you can report a murder you can report a cyber crime. Oh I know, they are going after those calling George a buffoon.
I promise you that this will lead to an invasion of freedoms on an unprecedented scale, LT please include HTTPS encryption to your site please.
They are targeting comments on online media and social networks Facebook(Zambian peoples pact especially), tweeter. Your PC has an IP address, you have also registered your simcard so its very easy to trace you. Next time you wish to post or comment something sensitive use the internet cafe not your mobile or office PC plus use fake profiles on social-networks
There are other mechanisms that can sort of hide your IP address such as VPNs and proxy servers, but internet and other things that are being used, but I guess you are right. It is all well and good if you are going for proper criminals (those that choose to be), but when the law is used to “create” them people will cry. I find it amazing that Zambia is one of the few places I know of where citizens find pride in screwing themselves and throw common sense and sensibility out the window the best course of action. Someone somewhere is benefiting greatly from these high illiteracy levels in this country.
ZICTA is implementing the statutory instrument was issued by the previous regime and they delayed to put it to use, just like the public order act its always been there but the people who rule by the rule of law are using it because its part of the law. others ruled using what they thot was right and not what the law said. if the law says 10 people should not be seen together for more than 10 minutes at the same place then you enforce it as such. How many of you have been to the law making conferences that are going on? none and when the law is signed you will be the first to criticize lets be patriotic and contribute
I think it is important to appreciate some of these things being implemented by Government. It is a bad idea to always criticize without looking at an issue from a bigger picture. Are you waiting for someone to sniff on you and get your details then you will appreciate CIRT? I.d.i.o.c.y!! I think is is what we need. Well done ZICTA. I hope you invest in human resource to fully dedicate themeselves to this job, because is a very involving task. chao!