Albert Antwi-Boasiako

Albert Antwi-Boasiako
Director-General, Cyber Security Authority
In office
October 2021 – March 2025
PresidentNana Akufo-Addo
MinisterUrsula Owusu-Ekuful
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byDivine Selase Agbeti
Head of the National Cyber Security Centre
In office
2018 – October 2021
MinisterUrsula Owusu-Ekuful
National Cybersecurity Advisor
In office
July 2017 – October 2021
MinisterUrsula Owusu-Ekuful
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born
Akim-Bieni, Eastern Region, Ghana
EducationUniversity of Trento (BA)
University of Portsmouth (MS)
University of Pretoria (PhD)
OccupationCybersecurity expert, author

Albert Antwi-Boasiako is a Ghanaian cybersecurity expert, author, and former government official who served as the founding Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of Ghana from October 2021 to March 2025.[1] Previously, he held public office as National Cybersecurity Advisor and Head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) from July 2017 to September 2021.[2][3]

During his time in public service, Antwi-Boasiako played a central role in building Ghana’s cybersecurity regulatory framework, leading the development and operationalisation of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) and strengthening institutional capacity. He also served as the inaugural Chair of the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA). After leaving public office, he returned to the private sector as executive chairman of e-Crime Bureau, a digital forensics firm he founded.[4]

Early life and education

Albert Antwi-Boasiako was born to Albert Yaw Broni Antwi and Janet Brako. He hails from Akim-Bieni in the Eastern Region.[5][6] His early upbringing and schooling was in Anyinam, a nearby town also in the Eastern Region.[7]

Antwi-Boasiako attended Oda Senior High School.[8][9] He completed his undergraduate studies in Philosophy at the University of Trento in Italy. In 2009, he enrolled in a postgraduate programme in forensic and information technology at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, graduating in 2010. From 2012 to 2018, he pursued a PhD at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. During this period, he introduced the Harmonised Model for Digital Evidence Admissibility Assessment (HM-DEAA), a framework for standardising digital forensics.[10]

During the time of his postgraduate studies in the UK, Antwi-Boasiako got a role in cybersecurity as a consultant with DFLabs for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) market. He represented the Milan-headquartered DFLabs at conferences in the UK and U.S.A. in this period.[11]

Early career and e-crime Bureau

In 2011, Antwi-Boasiako founded e-Crime Bureau, Ghana’s first private digital forensics and cybercrime investigation laboratory.[12] The company introduced structured computer forensics services in Ghana and worked with law enforcement agencies, financial institutions, and corporate organisations.[13]

In 2011, Antwi-Boasiako also took up the position of an adjunct lecturer in cybercrime, cyberterrorism & cybersecurity at Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. In 2014, he became an adjunct lecturer in digital forensics for the postgraduate programme in forensic science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

In 2013, he facilitated the first-ever ministerial-level engagement between Ghana and the Council of Europe. The next year, he beaun serving as an expert with the Council of Europe’s Global Action on Cybercrime Extended (GLACY+) Project. In 2015, he moderated a session of the Octopus Conference organized by the Council of Europe.[14]

In 2014, Antwi Boasiako was the country project coordinator in Ghana for the Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative, a capacity-building initiative of the Commonwealth Internet Governance Forum, whose launch was attended by President John Mahama.[15][16]

In 2015, Antwi-Boasiako became a member of the Interpol Global Cybercrime Expert Group, contributing to international cybercrime cooperation.[17][18]

National Cybersecurity Advisor

In June 2017, Antwi-Boasiako was appointed Cyber Security Advisor to the Ministry of Communications, a role created to coordinate national cybersecurity policy and institutional response to cyber threats.[19] The next year, Ghana’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Programme (Safer Digital Ghana) got launched in a ceremony with the attendance of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.[20]

During the period he served as advisor, he led Ghana’s technical efforts for the ratification of the Budapest Convention.[21] He led the launch of the cybercrime/cybersecurity incident reporting points of contact in 2019.[22]

In August 2020, following Ghana’s nomination to the Independent Advisory Committee of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, he began serving as a member of the committee.[23]

Antwi-Boasiako, serving as National Cybersecurity Advisor, led the development of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), which established the Cyber Security Authority as Ghana’s principal cybersecurity regulator. The Act further provides that the Authority is to be headed by a Director-General responsible for its administration and operational oversight. The Act was passed by the 7th Parliament of Ghana on 6 November 2020.[24]

Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority

Appointment

Following the passage of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), Antwi-Boasiako was nominated by President Nana Akufo-Addo and appointed in October 2021 as the first Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority, with responsibility for establishing the Authority and enforcing national cybersecurity regulation.[25]

Tenure

Antwi-Boasiako has stated that the Authority operated without political interference during his tenure, allowing it to carry out its regulatory mandate independently.[26]

In July 2022, he was sworn-in as chairperson of the Joint Cybersecurity Committee, an inter-agency body tasked with coordinating the country's cybersecurity initiatives.[27][28]

In 2023, under his leadership, the CSA implemented a licensing and accreditation framework for cybersecurity service providers and professionals, aimed at professionalising the sector and curbing unregulated operations.[29][30][31]

In June 2023, Antwi-Boasiako participated in the signing of the Second Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, France. The protocol aims to strengthen international cooperation in cybercrime investigations, particularly in the sharing of electronic evidence.[21] With the support of the Council of Europe, Antwi-Boasiako supported judicial capacity-building initiatives, including cybersecurity training programmes for judges in Ghana.[32]

In October 2024, Antwi‑Boasiako played a key role in launching Ghana’s revised National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy framework.[33] During his tenure, Ghana recorded significant progress in the International Telecommunication Union Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), attaining Tier 1 (Role Modelling) status in 2024—the highest ranking category. The country was ranked among the top performers globally and second in Africa, reflecting substantial improvements in its legal, technical, and institutional cybersecurity frameworks.[34]

ANCA role

In 2023, Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority was elected to chair the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA) making Antwi-Boasiako its inaugural chair. The role focused on strengthening continental cooperation on cybersecurity governance.[35][36]

Return to e-Crime Bureau

In March 2025, Antwi-Boasiako was replaced as Director-General of the Cyber Security Authority with Divine Selase Agbeti. This replacement terminated his public service duties.[37]

In December 2025, Antwi-Boasiako was appointed executive chairman of e-Crime Bureau, where he provides strategic oversight and focuses on cybersecurity innovation and digital forensics development.[4][38]

Publications

Antwi-Boasiako is the author of The Ten Commandments for Sustainable National Cybersecurity Development – Africa in Context: Practical Lessons and Good Practices, a book that examines key principles for sustainable national cybersecurity development in Africa, drawing on Ghana’s cybersecurity initiatives from 2016 to 2024 as well as comparative practices from other jurisdictions.[39][40]

He also authored The Republic: A Professional Journey, Ghana’s Cybersecurity and the Making of a Role Model Country, a work that chronicles nearly 15 years of Ghana’s cybersecurity evolution and institutional reforms, blending memoir, policy insights and strategic analysis.[41][42]

Honours and recognition

In April 2022, Antwi-Boasiako delivered the keynote address at the 12th College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) Lecture Series at the University of Ghana.[43] In October 2024, he was invited to deliver an address to the graduating students of the University of Trento.[44]

In January 2025, the Accra Chapter of ISACA honoured Antwi-Boasiako with a "Trailblazer Award" for his role in the development of cybersecurity in Ghana. The award was presented at a seminar organised on 24 January 2025 in Accra.[45] In February 2025, he was awarded the African Cybersecurity Excellence Award by the Africa Network of Cybersecurity Authorities.[46]

In October 2025, after exiting public office, the Cyber Security Authority honoured Antwi-Boasiako for his role in shaping Ghana’s digital security framework and institutionalising national cybersecurity governance.[47]

References

  1. ^ Awal, Mohammed (4 October 2021). "Meet Dr. Antwi-Boasiako; first ever Director-General of Ghana's Cyber Security Authority". The Business & Financial Times. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  2. ^ "CSA honours Dr. Antwi Boasiako for his pioneering role in Ghana's cybersecurity development". MyJoyOnline. 24 October 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  3. ^ Abugri, Emmanuel Ajarfor (19 October 2020). "Ghanaians Need To Be Privacy-Conscious – National Cyber Security". ModernGhana. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Former CSA boss Dr Antwi Boasiako named Executive Chairman of e-Crime Bureau". Graphic Online. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  5. ^ Bampoe, Daniel (6 August 2021). "Akim-Bieni gets ICT centre". DailyGuide Network. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  6. ^ "I wish former CSA boss Dr Antwi-Boasiako continues in office – Sampson Lardy". MyJoyOnline. Multimedia Group Limited. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  7. ^ "About Us – The E4D Foundation". Education for Development (E4D) Foundation. Education for Development Foundation. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  8. ^ "ODA SHS old students honour Cyber Security Authority boss". Graphic Online. 2024.
  9. ^ "CSA boss promises to build multipurpose ICT laboratory for ODASCO". MyJoyOnline. 2024.
  10. ^ Antwi-Boasiako, Albert; Venter, Hein (2017). "A Model for Digital Evidence Admissibility Assessment". In Peterson, Gilbert; Shenoi, Sujeet (eds.). Advances in Digital Forensics XIII. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. Vol. 511. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 23–38. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-67208-3_2. ISBN 978-3-319-67208-3.
  11. ^ "Bio – Albert Antwi-Boasiako" (PDF). ACCP / cybercrime-fr.org. African Cyber Crime Prevention Initiative. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Board of Directors of e-Crime Bureau inaugurated". Ghana Business News. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  13. ^ "First ever computer forensics firm with e-crime lab established". Modern Ghana. 26 September 2011.
  14. ^ "Ghanaian to moderate Council of Europe Conference on Cyber-crime". ghanaweb.com. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Cyber security investment poor". GhHeadlines. GhHeadlines (Business and Financial Times). 26 March 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Ghana's attention to cyber security is below par". News Ghana. News Ghana. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Antwi Boasiako joins Interpol Global Cybercrime Expert Group". News Ghana. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Ghanaian cybersecurity expert joins Interpol Cybercrime Experts". myjoyonline.com. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Communications Ministry appoints cyber security advisor". Graphic Online. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  20. ^ Daniel Bampoe (1 October 2021). "Antwi Boasiako Grabs Cyber Security Job". DailyGuide Network. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  21. ^ a b "Ghana, Europe sign protocol on cybercrime". BusinessGhana. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  22. ^ "Cybercrime and Cyber Security Incident Reporting Points of Contact launched". Ghanaian Times. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Ghana nominated to serve on GIFCT advisory committee". Citi Newsroom. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  24. ^ "Cybersecurity Act passed by Parliament to promote and regulate activities". GhanaWeb. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  25. ^ "Dr Antwi Boasiako appointed Director-General of Cyber Security Authority". MyJoyOnline. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  26. ^ "Former CSA boss says he was politically insulated to do his job". MyJoyOnline. 21 December 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  27. ^ "Ghana inaugurates first Joint Cybersecurity Committee". AllAfrica. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  28. ^ "Joint Cybersecurity Committee (JCC) Inaugurated". Cyber Security Authority (Ghana). Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  29. ^ "Cyber Security Authority to name and shame institutions operating without license". GhanaWeb. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  30. ^ "Accreditation will guide development of cybersecurity profession – Dr Antwi Boasiako". Citi Newsroom. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  31. ^ "Cyber Security Authority begins accreditation of providers". Graphic Online. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  32. ^ "Cybersecurity training for judges is key – Chief Justice". MyJoyOnline. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  33. ^ "National Cybersecurity Policy, Strategy launched". Ghanaian Times. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  34. ^ "Ghana ranked Tier 1 status in latest ITU Global Cybersecurity Index". Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  35. ^ "Ghana's Cyber Security Authority elected to lead African network". MyJoyOnline. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  36. ^ "CSA to chair Network of African Cybersecurity Authorities". Business & Financial Times. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  37. ^ "Divine Selase Agbeti assumes office as Acting Director-General of Cyber Security Authority". ghanaweb.com. 18 March 2025.
  38. ^ "Ex-CSA boss appointed Executive Chairman of e-Crime Bureau". Citi Newsroom. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  39. ^ Francis (2 December 2024). "Book launched to tackle cybersecurity challenges". The Business & Financial Times. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  40. ^ GTonline (9 December 2024). "Sustainable national cyber security in Africa book launched". Ghanaian Times. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  41. ^ "Ghana's cybersecurity status celebrated in new book". Graphic Online. 4 December 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  42. ^ "Akufo-Addo launches book tracing Ghana's rise to global cybersecurity leadership". MyJoyOnline. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  43. ^ "12th College of Basic and Applied Sciences (CBAS) Lecture Series". University of Ghana. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  44. ^ "Cyber security: meeting with Alumnus Albert Antwi Boasiako". Webmagazine UniTrento. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  45. ^ "ISACA honours Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako". csa.gov.gh. January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  46. ^ "CSA || News". www.csa.gov.gh. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  47. ^ "CSA honours Dr Antwi Boasiako's role in shaping Ghana's digital security framework". GhanaWeb. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
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