The Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Divine Selase Agbeti, has described the theme for the 2026 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) as timely, deliberate and urgent, noting that digital finance has become deeply embedded in everyday life.
“This theme is timely, deliberate and urgent. Digital finance is now woven into everyday life,” Agbeti said at the media launch of NCSAM 2026 on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.
Ghana will observe this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month from October 1 to 31 under the theme, “Securing Ghana’s Digital Finance Ecosystem: Building Trust Through Collaboration and Cyber Resilience.”
The month-long campaign, led by the CSA, seeks to raise awareness about emerging cyber threats while promoting safer digital practices and strengthening collaboration among institutions and other stakeholders within Ghana’s digital finance ecosystem.
Agbeti said the rapid adoption of digital financial services had transformed how Ghanaians conduct transactions, communicate and access services, making cybersecurity an increasingly important part of the country’s digital development.
He stressed the need for stakeholders to build trust and resilience into the digital finance ecosystem as more people and businesses depend on digital platforms for everyday transactions.
According to him, cybersecurity can no longer be treated as an issue reserved for technology experts, but must be regarded as a shared responsibility involving individuals, businesses, financial institutions, government agencies and other actors within the digital ecosystem.
The CSA boss said collaboration among stakeholders was essential to identifying vulnerabilities, responding effectively to cyber incidents and protecting users as digital financial services continue to expand.
Also speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Banks, John Awuah, warned that the growing use of digital financial services was creating valuable opportunities for cybercriminals.
“As you transact, you leave a footprint that can be exploited and abused by cybercriminals who are looking for opportunities to harm us,” Awuah cautioned.
He urged users of digital financial services to be more conscious of their activities online and the information they share when conducting transactions.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, also highlighted the growing sophistication of cybercrime and its implications for Ghana’s digital economy.
She said cybercrime had evolved into an organised and, in some cases, transnational criminal enterprise, with perpetrators exploiting social engineering, stolen identities, mule accounts, compromised devices, malicious links, fake businesses, cryptocurrency and fraudulent investment schemes.
According to COP Donkor, the use of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency has further expanded the tools available to cybercriminals, making the fight against technology-enabled crime increasingly complex.
She said the Ghana Police Service had expanded its capacity to investigate technology-enabled crimes, including the deployment of cybercrime investigators and specialists across Police Commands.
The CID has also strengthened specialised cyber investigations, cyber intelligence and digital forensics, supported by a Digital Forensics Laboratory at the CID Headquarters.
COP Donkor disclosed that a joint CSA-CID operation near Tema Community 25 resulted in the arrest of 39 suspects and the seizure of several digital devices in connection with a suspected cyber-fraud hub.
She further disclosed that a coordinated operation with INTERPOL led to the arrest of 68 suspects, the seizure of 835 devices, the identification of 108 victims and the tracing of more than US$450,000 in losses.
She warned that the growing sophistication of cybercrime required faster reporting and stronger cooperation among law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications companies, technology platforms and the public.
“Anonymity does not mean immunity,” COP Donkor warned, stressing that law enforcement agencies would continue to identify, disrupt and prosecute cybercriminals.
She also called for what she described as a “golden-hour culture” in responding to digital financial crimes, explaining that fraudulent funds could be moved, withdrawn or converted within minutes, while digital evidence could also disappear quickly.
The CID boss urged victims and institutions to report incidents early, preserve evidence and share actionable intelligence promptly to improve the chances of tracing and recovering illicit funds.
The NCSAM 2026 campaign is expected to use the month-long observance to deepen public awareness, strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and promote a more trusted and resilient digital finance ecosystem in Ghana.