National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre Conducts Training for 10 Police Officers

Ten law enforcement officers involved in acquiring, processing and preserving digital evidence benefitted from  a four-day practical on digital forensics provided by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NC3)  at the Home Suite Hotel, Aberdeen, Freetown commencing on Tuesday 21^st February, 2023 and ending on  Friday 24th February, 2023.

The Cybersecurity Coordination Centre is a statutory body created by the Cybersecurity and Crime Act of 2021 to address Cybersecurity issues including supporting law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybercrimes in Sierra Leone.

The training particularly focused on building the capacity of the Police in combating cybercrimes.

According to the National Coordinator, Mariama Yormah, ten police officers working in the Computer Lab at the Criminal Investigations Department benefitted from the training,  after which they received three laptops containing various proprietary forensic software to enhance the fight against cybercrime and minimize the number of cases thrown out of court.

She furthered that the training came as result of a conducted scoping visit made by NC3 in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), to key institutions involved in the fight against cybercrimes for them to understand the landscape and identify existing gaps hindering the effective implementation of the Act.

Mariama Yormah highlighted the lack of procedures and requisite tools for handling and preserving electronic evidence in the Computer Lab at the Criminal Investigations Department as part of the findings made during the visit.

In a similar development, the NC3 in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), will be organizing a two-day Cybersecurity symposium on the topic “Safeguarding our Digital World: Fostering a Common Understanding of Sierra Leone’s Cybersecurity and Crime Act” from the 27th to 28th of February 2023 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Aberdeen.

The conference aims to bring all actors involved in the implementation of the Cybersecurity and Crime Act of 2021 for a common understanding of the legislation, identify challenges hindering its enforcement and suggest concrete recommendations.

The Calabash Newspaper The Calabash Newspaper

The Calabash Newspaper Established in 2017, The Calabash Newspaper serves as a trusted platform for news and general information dissemination, catering to a broad Sierra Leonean audience both at home and abroad through its active presence on social media. The publication is committed to engaging its diverse readership by reporting on topical news events in Sierra Leone, enriched with editorials and insightful commentaries on pressing issues of the day. In addition to local news, The Calabash Newspaper expands its scope to include topics of continental interest, drawing from various international publications that address political, economic, and social developments across Africa.

See Full Bio