Kenya, Huawei partner to boost cyber security skills

NAIROBI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- State-owned Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and Chinese firm, Huawei said Friday they have partnered in order to scale up cyber security skills in the east African nation.

Ezra Chiloba, Director-General of the CA said cyber security is critical since the future of Kenya's economy is going to be driven by the digital space. "We are working with Huawei, who are bringing on board their expansive experience in this sector, and I want to encourage young people who are undertaking courses and are looking forward to participating in the digital economy to invest their time and resources in understanding the future of cyber security," Chiloba said in a statement released in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

He noted that CA, the telecom industry regulator, and Huawei will jointly set up a special cyber security boot camp for students attending institutions of higher learning across the country.

"The boot camp has attracted more than 1,700 university students across the country. The partnership targets to build capacity amongst technology students to ensure secure networks and cyberspace," Chiloba added.

Official statistics indicate that Kenya has just under 2,000 certified cybersecurity professionals against an annual demand of 10,000 experts.

Chiloba also revealed that the three-day intensive training session which is set to run on Oct. 17-19 is one of the highlights of the month-long celebrations to mark national cybersecurity awareness month marked every October.

He observed that the boot camp includes a Huawei certification e-learning course on cyber security, virtual lab exercises, on-site training, and mentorship from experts within the field.

"These jointly structured sessions and courses are geared at preparing participants for a successful career in cybersecurity," Chiloba said.

Will Meng, CEO of Huawei Kenya, noted that for the past 20 years, the firm has helped build secure networks across Kenya while contributing to economic growth.

"We are pleased to work with the CA to provide training to students to enhance their capacity to operate networks and systems securely, and to be safe online," Meng said.