Developed by the Computer Emergency Response Team Mauritius (CERT-MU), to facilitate cyber threat information sharing in Mauritius, the platform, MAUSHIELD, was launched this morning in presence of the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Darsanand Balgobin, at SICOM Tower in Ebène.
The team of the Cyber4Dev Project of the European Union, Mr Hannes Krause and Mr Klaid Clyde Magi, were also present.
An open source platform, MAUSHIELD is a national system for sharing cyber threat intelligence in real-time and in a secured and confidential manner. It will allow various authorities/organisations to conduct cyber threat situational analysis in Mauritius.
MAUSHIELD will also provide a collaborative platform for sharing information to give a better visibility of cyber security situational awareness; develop a better understanding of the different techniques that cybercriminals are using to carry out cyber-attacks; help organisations to improve their cyber defence capability; and enhance the overall cyber resilience of Mauritius.
Minister Balgobin recalled that Mauritius ranks first in Africa and 17th worldwide as per the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index and that several initiatives are being taken at the level of the Ministry to improve the country’s global ranking. He pointed out that the MAUSHIELD is a step forward for public and private institutions to enhance their cybersecurity posture, minimize risks and prevent cyber-attacks.
Government, he underlined, is committed to make Mauritius a cybersecurity hub and a secure nation so as to ensure an attractive business and social environment. He recalled that last year, the Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act was brought forth to strengthen the country’s digital eco-system and combat cyber threats.
The ICT Minister informed that international certifications such as the SIM3 are ongoing and will be an asset for national CERT. Mauritius is amongst the first countries in Africa to be compliant to such an imperative certification, he added.
The Ministry, he indicated, is actively working with the Cyber4Dev Project with the European Union to promote cyber-resilience and cybersecurity in order to protect public and private enterprises. A National Cybersecurity Committee has been set up to oversee and coordinate the national cybersecurity agenda, he said. Moreover, the setting up of a Security Operations Centre to detect cyber-attacks is also in the pipeline.
