The growing reliance of African governments on offshore cloud services is raising concerns among security experts.

In recent years, many African governments have moved to store their data and applications on cloud servers located outside of the continent. This has been done in the name of efficiency and cost-savings. However, security experts warn that this trend could make African governments more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

One of the main concerns is that offshore cloud providers may not be as well-equipped to protect African government data as local providers. Offshore providers may not have the same understanding of the local threat landscape, and they may not be as responsive to African government security concerns.

In addition, offshore cloud providers may be more likely to be targeted by foreign governments or other malicious actors. This is because African governments often hold sensitive data that could be valuable to foreign actors.

The recent hack of US government cloud email accounts by a China-linked group is a reminder of the risks of relying on offshore cloud services. The hackers were able to access the email accounts of two dozen US government agencies by exploiting a security vulnerability in Microsoft’s cloud platform.

This hack highlights the importance of African governments conducting careful due diligence before moving their data to offshore cloud providers. African governments should also put in place strong security measures to protect their data, even when it is stored on offshore cloud servers.

In addition to security concerns, there are also economic concerns about the growing reliance of African governments on offshore cloud services. By moving their data and applications to offshore cloud providers, African governments are effectively transferring jobs and revenue to foreign companies.

This could have a negative impact on the African economy in the long run. It could also make African governments more vulnerable to economic coercion by foreign governments.

For all of these reasons, African governments should carefully consider the risks and benefits of relying on offshore cloud services before making a decision. They should also put in place measures to protect their data and to support the development of local cloud computing industries.