Rabat Hosts High-Level African Cybersecurity Leadership Program

Agadir – The Cybersecurity Leadership Executive Program kicks off today in Rabat, running until Friday. The initiative is organized by ANCA-CERT, the operational arm of the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA), with support from Morocco’s General Directorate for Information Systems Security (DGSSI).

The program brings together government officials, policymakers, senior executives, cybersecurity experts, and representatives of regional and international organizations to define a shared approach to the rising cybersecurity challenges facing African states.

A continental platform for cyber governance

The program is structured as a high-level platform for dialogue and capacity-building. It focuses on five strategic pillars: cybersecurity governance, digital resilience, cyber crisis management, skills development, and regional and international cooperation. 

These priorities are aligned with the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Global Cybersecurity Index, a global reference framework used to assess national cybersecurity maturity.

Institutional partners supporting the initiative include the ITU, CREST, and FIRST, reflecting an effort to connect African cybersecurity strategies with global standards and best practices.

A shared African cyber defense

Opening the program, Abdellah Boutrig, Director General of DGSSI, underlined that cybersecurity has become a core component of both digital sovereignty and economic development across the continent.

He stressed that African states cannot individually address the scale and complexity of current cyber threats, which are increasingly transnational in nature. 

Instead, he called for stronger coordination through information sharing, exchange of expertise, and joint development of capabilities as essential tools for strengthening continental resilience.

Boutrig also pointed to the role of ANCA and ANCA-CERT in fostering a unified African cybersecurity vision based on trust, cooperation, and solidarity, while reaffirming Morocco’s commitment to supporting continental cyber capacity-building efforts.

Morocco’s efforts to combat rising cybersecurity threats 

This program is part of Morocco’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its cybersecurity strategies both regionally and internationally through major global and regional security meetings. 

In May, Morocco took part in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Conference on Computer Security in the Nuclear World in Vienna, showcasing the country’s efforts to address emerging cybersecurity threats linked to artificial intelligence.

Morocco also co-organized, in the same month, a high-level side event alongside international partners, including the United States and Belgium, focused on sharing experiences related to cybersecurity and AI-driven threats. 

These events function as platforms for exchanging knowledge and expertise regarding cybersecurity threats and exploring areas for cooperation in this shared matter.