Cybersecurity: Ousmane Sonko announces hearings following recent attacks

Following the unanimous adoption of the bill on the protection of critical information infrastructure and digital security, the National Assembly wants to go further. Its president, Ousmane Sonko, announced hearings with key stakeholders to shed light on the cyberattacks recently recorded in Senegal.

The objective is to better understand the level of vulnerability of the country, but also to assess the consequences of the attacks that have affected certain public structures.

"I have received an initiative to launch hearings with all relevant services to better inform, enlighten ourselves and inform the Senegalese people about the level of risk," said Ousmane Sonko.

Several services in the crosshairs

These hearings could involve several stakeholders in the national cybersecurity ecosystem. The President of the National Assembly specifically mentions the State's technical services, the Ministry for Digital Affairs, the National Digital Council, experts, and service providers.

The structures that have themselves been victims of attacks could also be questioned. Ousmane Sonko specifically mentions the Directorate of File Automation (DAF), the Directorate of Air Transport (DTA), and the Directorate General of Taxes and Domains (DGID) as among the services likely to appear before the members of parliament.

For the National Assembly, it will not simply be a matter of establishing a baseline. Parliamentarians also want to understand the vulnerabilities exploited, measure the impact of the incidents, and identify the appropriate responses.

"Better understanding leads to better legislation"

This approach should allow MPs to have more precise information before considering new legislative measures.

“Better understanding and better informing citizens,” but also “better supporting each other to legislate later,” explained Ousmane Sonko.

These hearings follow the vote on the new digital security law. According to the President of the National Assembly, this text provides a working basis, but is not sufficient on its own to protect Senegal from the rapidly evolving cyber threats.

The next step will therefore be evaluation. After voting on the legal framework, the MPs now want to hear from those who know the attacks from the inside, in order to better assess the risks and ultimately strengthen the national response.