In this week’s new roundup, we are exploring the details of the data breach that occurred in Qatar and how Africa is making its way to digital safety.

Kenya has launched the DigiKen initiative, led by John Tanui, the Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, to improve digital literacy and maturity across the country. The initiative, developed in partnership with the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN), and United Kingdom, aims to bridge the digital divide and support the country’s transition to a digital economy as part of Kenya Vision 2030, focused on industrializing the country by that year.

The DigiKen program aims to empower vulnerable groups, including the elderly, women, youth, people with disabilities, and the rural population, ensuring that they are not left behind in the digital transformation. The initiative highlights that digital inclusion is now a necessity in sectors such as education, health, and economic connectivity.

Meanwhile, the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Data Protection Authority (DPO) has imposed a financial penalty of US$150,000 and reprimanded a QFC-licensed firm following a significant data breach. This is the first such penalty in Qatar and highlights QFC’s commitment to maintaining high data protection standards.

The key issues in the breach included reporting delays (10 days instead of the required 72 hours), security lapses, and inadequate oversight of personal data protection. Despite these lapses, the firm fully cooperated and made significant improvements to its data security, avoiding public censure.

Daniel Patterson, Commissioner of the DPO, stressed the importance of complying with the QFC Data Protection Regulations 2021 to build trust in Qatar’s business ecosystem.

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