Zimbabwe Trains 10,000 Youths In Ethical Hacking, Says Mavetera

Zimbabwe has trained more than 10,000 young people in ethical hacking and cyber defence as part of a national cybersecurity plan. This is according to the Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services.

Ethical hacking means testing a computer system, network or app on purpose to find weak spots that criminals could use. Ethical hackers have permission to break into a system. They do this to fix problems, not to steal or damage data.

Speaking at the opening of the 2nd Africa Preparatory Meeting for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26) in Victoria Falls on Thursday, the Minister told delegates from across Africa that the training is part of a wider policy.

The Minister, who was represented by her deputy Dingimuzi Phuti, said the aim is to protect the country’s digital assets and key infrastructure, and also create new jobs and business opportunities.

“Cyber threats are borderless. Zimbabwe has completed a comprehensive Cybersecurity Strategy to protect our digital assets, critical infrastructure, and citizens’ data,” said Mavetera.

“We are training over 10,000 young Zimbabweans in ethical hacking and cyber-defence, turning a vulnerability into a national export opportunity.”

The three-day meeting, which ended over the weekend, seeks to forge common African positions on spectrum use, cybersecurity rules, AI governance and universal internet access before the global ITU Plenipotentiary Conference later this year.

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