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EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND THREATS

The First Meeting of NEDAC Committee on Emerging Technologies and Threats

Scope of cyber security was discussed for the next term activity in the first meeting of the major committee of NEDAC.

26 February 2022 / Zoom Conference Platform

The “Emerging Technologies and Threats” is one of the major committees formed by NEDAC, in NEDAC General Assembly 2020. Chair of the committee is the Kenya Union of Savings & Credit for Cooperatives (KUSCCO).

The first meeting of the committee was organized on 26 February 2022 via Zoom Conference Platform. The meeting was attended by 30 participants including the Committee members, NEDAC members, and cooperative leaders from Kenya and other countries in Africa. The emerging technologies and threats are getting more relevant amid this situation which has an impact on the daily lives such as financial sector, infrastructure, businesses and etc. The topic of cyber security was selected as the theme of the first meeting as the cyber security guideline was perfectly adopted during the Cyber-Security Advisory Forum 2019 by NCDC, India with Dr. Gulshan Rai, Former cyber security head in Prime Minister Office.

“Many of the things we have become accustomed to in our various institutions are direct and tangible benefits from increased adoption and infusion of technology in service provision”, Mr. George Ototo, CEO of the KUSCCO said in his opening address. He added that “Cyber security is a major threat because financial businesses deal with personal and financial data of customers, which is sensitive. Unfortunately, it is the data that is the most vulnerable asset in a connected ecosystem”.

Former cyber security head in Prime Minister Office, Dr. Gulshan Rai also joined the meeting as a Chief Guest and addressed that “Technologies drive digital transformation not only in the commercial sector but the agricultural sector too, micro agricultural sectors are now playing role”. “We created this system (cyber technology), we need to secure the system”, said Dr. Gulshan.

How to capacitate the agricultural cooperatives to be part of the digital economy, case study from India was presented in the meeting by Dr. Gulshan Rai. Then, an informative and revive panel discussion took place featured Dr. Nethi Muralidhar, Managing Director from Telangana State Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd; Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh, Vice Chairman of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED).

Different views received from different countries, those are necessary for NEDAC to develop a capacity development program under the committee with collaboration of KUSCCO, Kenya.