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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><big><big> <small><small>For
Immediate Release<br>
5 February 2010 </small> </small><br>
<span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: black;"><span
style="">
</span></span><br>
</big></big></font></p>
<div align="justify"><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><big><big><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: black;"><span
style=""></span></span></big></big><big><big><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: black;"><span
style=""></span></span><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><big>
An </big><span style=""><big>African Inter-Governmental
Coordination and Cooperation for a Safer Internet</big><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></font><br>
<big><big><tt><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></tt></big></big></div>
<div align="justify"><tt><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big><big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></big></tt><br>
<div align="left"><big><big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">Cybercrime
and security is a growing concern, a
priority, and hot topic today for law enforcement as well as the
Internet
technical community. Realising the importance of collectively
addressing this
issue, AfriNIC has established the AfriNIC Government Working Group
(AfGWG) initiative
with the first round table for Law Enforcement Agencies on the theme of
<i style="">“African Inter-Governmental Coordination and
Cooperation for a Safer Internet”</i> which took place 25 – 26 January
2010, at
the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Cyber City, Mauritius.<span style=""> </span>There
were
thirty-five (35) delegates from
eleven (11) countries representing government officials who are
responsible for
law enforcement and cyber security in Africa, the Council of Europe,
the US
Department of Justice/Federal Bureau of Investigations, ICANN/IANA, and
other
RIR organisations.<span style=""> </span>QCC Information
Security Ltd (Mauritius) was a sponsor of the social event.</span></big></font></big></big></big></big><br>
</div>
</div>
<big><big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><br>
This event is
the first step in AfriNIC’s strategy to
improve its cooperation and support to governments in their quest to
better
understand the Internet governance ecosystem and positively contribute
to
policy discussions and matters that are of their interest. “If we want
the
Internet to be a safer place for business and a tool that can foster
Socio-Economical Development in Africa, we need to better understand
the
Economics of the Internet and create a broad and participative
cooperation
where each party and stakeholder play their role for efficient policies
and
collaborative frameworks to fight cybercrime,” said Mr. Adiel Akplogan
the CEO
of AfriNIC. <o:p></o:p></span>
</big></font></big><br>
</big></big></big>
<div align="right">
<div align="left"><big><big>
<big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US">During this
two-day event, the participants discussed
current challenges with Internet-related crimes; steps being taken by
law
enforcement agencies; ways in which these challenges manifest in their
respective countries and potential efforts to combat such challenges;
ideas to
promote security by facilitating global cooperation and coordination;
insight
into the Internet Ecosystem and its governance; <span style=""> </span>how
cooperating
with existing organisations
such as AfriNIC can impact the work of Law Enforcement Agencies; and,
National
CERT (Computer Emergency Readiness Team) Programs implemented in the
African
region.<o:p></o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US">Feedback from
most of the participants was very
positive, such as from Mrs. Farida Waziri, Chairperson of the Economic
and
Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria, who stated, “It has been very
informative. Glad to be in Mauritius, though it was a technical
meeting, I have
been able to pick and learn many things. I am concerned about the level
of
crime in Nigeria and this kind of meeting will help me takeaway
information for
my country and try building training in the very near future.<span
style=""> </span>This event really met our expectations and
that is why I stayed one more day.” <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US">The
exchange of information and ideas proved to be
very useful to the participants as expressed by Mrs. Pierrette Djossou
Amoussou, Telecommunications Engineer, Benin’s Posts &
Telecommunications
Transitory Regulatory Authority, who stated, “This was a well organized
event,
the content was very interesting and we received desired information.<span
style=""> </span>We have gathered interesting information on
cyber crimes and different issues from other countries.<span style="">
</span>We are much concerned about cyber crimes and we
will make sure that the necessary actions are taken at our level in
Benin.” <o:p></o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US">The
outcome of the meeting was to continue to
strengthen the AfGWG and hold subsequent meetings in other African
regions; to
include legal entities and create a legal framework; involve
universities and
the younger generation in cyber crime and law enforcement efforts;<span
style=""> </span>and to establish a single repository for
cybercrime and security in the African region. The next AfGWG Cyber
Crime/Law Enforcement
event will take place in November 2010 at the 13<sup>th</sup> AfriNIC
Public
Policy meeting. AfriNIC has created an open mailing list for the
exchange of
cyber security information, subscribe by sending a request with your
name, title, organisation, and, email to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:contact@afrinic.net">contact@afrinic.net</a>
and include afgwg-discuss
in the
subject line. Presentations from this event are available at</span><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://meeting.afrinic.net/afgwg/index.php/workshop-agenda">http://meeting.afrinic.net/afgwg/index.php/workshop-agenda</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></big></font></big><br>
</big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><span style="font-size: 10pt;"
lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span><i style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US">The
African Network
Information Center (AfriNIC) is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR)
for
Africa, responsible for the distribution and management of Internet
number
resources throughout the African region. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.afrinic.net">www.afrinic.net</a></span></i></big></font></big><br>
</big></big></big></div>
<big><big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><i style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"></span></i></big></font></big></big></big></big></div>
<big><big><big><big><font face="Arial"><big><i style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"></span></i></big></font></big></big><br>
<big><big><font face="Arial"><big><i style=""><span
style="font-size: 10pt;" lang="EN-US"></span></i></big></font></big></big><big><big><font
face="Arial"><big><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: black;">Contact:<br>
Lillian Sharpley<o:p></o:p></span><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; color: black;"><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:press@afrinic.net">press@afrinic.net</a></span></big></font></big></big></big></big>
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