Strengthening cybersecurity in the West African region received a huge boost with the successful conclusion on 30th November of the 2018 CSIRT Maturity and TRANSITS I Training Workshop organised by WACREN and the Open CSIRT Foundation. The 5-day workshop, hosted by Eko-Konnect took place at the University of Lagos and featured participants from NRENs, higher education institutions, commercial organisations and national CSIRTs in the making from Mali, Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Togo and Nigeria.

The workshop covered the TRANSITS I and SIM3 maturity model training and the required legal and policy frameworks for CSIRT/CERTs operation and cooperation, community building and organisation of national and regional trust circles.  Don Stikvoort and Miroslaw Maj from the Open CSIRT Foundation were the training facilitators whose expertise and wealth of experience as pioneer CSIRT operatives greatly enriched the workshop.

In his closing remarks, WACREN CSO, Omo Oaiya encouraged the participants to take the knowledge that had been gained back to their home institutions for establishing and maturing CSIRTs based on the SIM3 model parameters that had been identified during the workshop. He added that WACREN would support the establishment and coordination of the West African CSIRT community.

Owen Iyoha, General Manager of Eko-Konnect thanked WACREN and the Open CSIRT foundation for what had been an illuminating and groundbreaking workshop and that based on the commitment expressed by participants from the Nigerian institutions, Eko-Konnect looked forward to becoming the co-ordinating CSIRT for the Nigerian REN community.

Highlights of the week’s event in the video below.