An overview of the digital forensic investigation infrastructure of Ghana

Abstract

Cybercrime incidents continue to plague economic development in the African region. Prior research indicates that millions of dollars are lost annually due to this menace. The prospects of Digital Forensics Investigation (DFI) as evident in developed countries provide hope for defeating cybercriminals. The paper assesses the effectiveness of legal infrastructure, technical mechanisms, the availability of capacity building programs, organisational infrastructure as well as the existence of cooperation mechanisms among relevant institutions in Ghana. The paper contends to the existence of legislation and mandated institutions. It concludes that, though the sector has recorded advancements over the years, the progress has been very slow leaving DFI still at an infant stage. Existing legislations are scattered and cumbersome whereas mandated institutions lack the requisite capacity. There is a need to streamline existing laws into a comprehensively harmonized legal framework. Furthermore, heavy investments must be deployed to boost the capacities of relevant institutions. � 2020 The Author(s)