* The team engaged with MUST faculty members and students under Department of Computer Studies & Information Technology (CSIT)
* They shared their experiences and insights on the latest cyber security trends and technologies, while also learning about the unique challenges faced by Malawi in the cyber security landscape
By Chikumbutso Mwale & Charlie Mtambalika, MUST communication students
A delegation from the USA, comprising distinguished experts and researchers in the fields of cyber security, energy & power and in military research visited Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) on Tuesday, July 16 a bid to strengthen international collaboration in the field of cyber security.
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The visit to the Department of Computer Studies & Information Technology (CSIT) shared knowledge, expertise and best practices in addressing the evolving cyber threats and developing a robust cyber security ecosystem.
The team engaged with MUST faculty members and students under CSIT in a series of presentations — with discussions focused on cutting-edge cyber security topics, including threat intelligence, incident response, and digital forensics.
The US experts shared their experiences and insights on the latest cyber security trends and technologies, while also learning about the unique challenges faced by Malawi in the cyber security landscape.
The team also explored potential areas of collaboration, including joint research initiatives, capacity building programmes, and student exchange opportunities.
“The best type of defence is to have a good relationship with other people,” said Dr Jonathan Brame in his presentation that emphasized on collaboration.
And in an interview, Colonel Chrispin Phiri, Defence Attaché at the Malawi Embassy in Ethiopia, who led the team to MUST, said the visit was for strong collaborations, saying the experts “want to work with MUST in areas of common interest and share knowledge on US government-funded research proposals that tackle cyber security challenges”.
“As the only institution in Malawi offering cyber security programmes, they recognize the value of engaging with MUST,” said Colonel Phiri.
The visit was hailed as a significant milestone in the growing partnership between MUST and US-based cyber security entities.
The collaboration is expected to enhance the capacity of Malawian cyber security professionals, contribute to the development of a more resilient cyber security posture in the region, and foster a culture of international cooperation in addressing global cyber threats.
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On his part, Dr Michael Zimba, Executive Dean for Malawi Institute of Technology (MIT) where the CSIT department is housed at MUST, welcomed the gesture, saying: “We select best performing students across the country so we are the cream of the nation.
“This is where excellence reigns; here is where you will find brilliant minds and ideas,” Dr Zimba said.
The visit ended with a tour of the MUST campus, specifically the computer laboratories and library.
The US delegations’ visit to MUST demonstrates commitment of both parties to advancing cyber security education, research and practice — ultimately contributing to a safer and more secure digital world.
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Meanwhile, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is in the process of sanitising the digital space by amending clauses of the Electronic Transaction & Cyber Security Act (2016), which will ensure that the digital space is properly regulated.
At its MACRA Open Day Blantyre on Monday, MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman explained that the Electronic Transaction & Cyber Security Act (2016) was drafted from around 2010-2012 taking into account of the digital penetration at that time — but the digital landscape has tremendously evolved that has seen many challenges to do with electronic transaction and cyber crimes.
“The legal framework of the digital space was compacted into one law, the Electronic Transaction & Cyber Security Act, with cyber crimes being mentioned in one paragraph,” Suleman said. “So, we found the need to break the Act into two — the Electronic Transaction Act and Cyber Security Act.”
MACRA Director General, Daud Suleman
He added that the cyber security law was also divided into four components that includes Data Protection Act, which has been rolled into operation from June, 2024 while three Cyber Crimes Bill; e-Evidence Bill and Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship Bill are yet to be debated in Parliament.
He assured that once the Bills would be passed and assented to, they shall be made available for the public’s scrutiny since the Cyber Crimes Bill zeroes in on do’s and don’t’s on the use of the digital space — including 38 types of crimes that are committed through phones.
Key to the amendment of the Electronic Transaction & Cyber Security Act (2016) is the Data Protection Act, which protects the public’s personal information from being stolen after being exposed to a third party.
Cyber crime intervention by MACRA
Suleman emphasised that the amendments to the 2026 Act are in line with global trends in the digital space, saying Malawi cannot proceed without a stable and healthy digital legal framework.
He added that the Digital Innovation & Entrepreneurship Bill is towards enhancing digital entrepreneurship and protection of intellectual property, saying the world economy is moving towards the digital ecosystem.
Taking cognizance that we are living in a global village, Suleman said the amendments to the Act have been done in collaboration with various global stakeholders in line with Africa Union’s Malabo Convention and the global Budapest Convention.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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very nice