The Major Challenges Facing the Development of African Countries, and Algeria in Particular, in the Face of Cybercrime

Abstract

The rapid development of information and communication technologies is closely related to the exponential growth in data volumes. At the same time, the development of enterprise strategies coupled with the digital economy has led to changes in business models and infrastructure solutions. The emergence of innovative industries that extensively use the internet has presented significant challenges to the security of systems and sensitive data, particularly in the field of cybercrime. In order to address the growing issue of cybercrime, African nations, among which Algeria is the largest country, need to build a series of digital barriers in the form of legislation, multilateral agreements, and the development of technical capacity in this area, such as the creation of cybersecurity centers. The implementation of an effective cybersecurity strategy is strongly required on a national, regional, and continental scale. According to the last report of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2020, Mauritius is ranked as the most secure country in Africa in terms of cybersecurity, followed by South Africa in the second rank. A successful economy inherently involves a digital economy and a bold strategy to counter all the “nuisance” of cybercrimes. Algeria, despite its relatively low ranking in the last report of the Global Cybersecurity Index, has made significant progress when compared to its neighbors. With its excellent internet connectivity and a young and dynamic population, Algeria’s positive economic indicators are certain to improve even further with the desired membership it seeks in the BRICS organization. Given these considerations, it follows that South Africa as well as Algeria possess the potential to serve as locomotives for the development of the whole of Africa.