“Cybersecurity law provides the legal framework businesses must follow to protect digital assets, sensitive data, and networks from cyber threats, dictating requirements for data protection, incident response, and compliance to avoid penalties and reputational harm”
KEY DEFINITIONS TO THE DOMAIN OF CYBER SECURITY IN CAMEROON
- Illegal Access: Unauthorized intentional access to all or part of an electronic communication network, an information system of terminal equipment;
- Administration in Charge of Telecommunications: Ministry or Minister, as the case may be, invested with general powers over telecommunications and information and communication technologies by the Government;
- Algorithm: Series of basic mathematical operations to be applied to data to achieve a desired result;
- Asymmetric Algorithm: Cipher algorithm using a public key to cipher and decipher messages;
- Symmetric Algorithm: Cipher algorithm using the same key to cipher and decipher messages;
- Active Attack: Action modifying or altering the resources targeted by the attack (violation of the integrity and confidentiality of data);
- Passive Attack: Action that does not alter its target (eavesdropping, invasion of privacy);
- Integrity Violation: Action carried out intentionally to substantially disrupt or disable an information system, electronic communication network or terminal equipment by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering, suppressing or making data inaccessible;
- Security Audit: Systematic examination of components and security actors, policies, actions, procedures and resources used by an organization to protect its environment, conduct compliance tests, controls to assess the adequacy of (organizational, technical, human and financial) resources allocated for risks, optimization, efficiency and performance;
- Certification Authority: Trusted authority responsible for the creation and assignment of public and private keys and electronic certificates etc.
SCOPE OF APPLICATION OF THE CYBER SECURITY LAW OF CAMEROON
This law governs the security framework of electronic communication networks and information systems, defines and punishes offences related to the use of information and communication technologies in Cameroon.
The law seeks to
- Build trust in electronic communication networks and information systems in Cameroon;
- Establish the legal regime of digital evidence, security, cryptography and electronic certification activities in Cameroon;
- Protect basic human rights, in particular the right to human dignity, honour and respect of privacy, as well as the legitimate interests of corporate bodies in Cameroon.
The cyber security law of Cameroon does not cover the specific applications used in national defence and security of Cameroon.
The electronic communications networks targeted by the cyber security law of Cameroon include: satellite, ground and electronic networks when they are used to route electronic communications and audio-visual communication broadcast or distribution networks.