The community Network is very helpful in reducing digital gaps in rural areas especially in Africa. As policy makers trying to factor it ICT policy, its management must be key that will include Security of the infrastructure
Dear Muhammed, thank you very much for your question! I believe you are talking about the security of the people installing infrastructure. Please, let me know if that is not the case.
Specially when going up towers, people should wear the appropriate gear (working boots, helmet, climbing harness etc). Those supporting from the bottom of the tower should also wear helmets as well, as even a small screw falling from the top of a tower could cause fatal injuries. This gear is not at all expensive when compared to the cost of the tower itself, and should be factored in when costing the tools needed for installation.
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Hi Mohammed - if you are talking about the physical security so that people don’t steal or vandalize the equipment - the best way that many CN’s deal with that is for the community to talk about this and for everybody to decide together where the equipment will be safe - the same way that other things in the community are being kept safe or respected by the community.
Although in more urban areas where there is no effective police or security force, or a lot of concrete, steel, alarms, cameras, and automatic pepper spray, is what some networks use to deter criminals.
Then there is the aspect of online network security, with passwords and updates and safe configurations - to protect the network, and the community’s data - this is usually governed by existing regulation such as POPI, RICA and FICA in South Africa, or GDPR in EU, as well as standards- or representative bodies - again like ISPA and WAPA in South Africa. Keep in mind that policy and regulation can serve to hamper or make it more difficult for small networks to flourish which is something that needs to be avoided if at all possible. For example, in South Africa there is a a license condition, amongst others, that every network must have a 24/7 “NOC”. Thankfully it doesn’t specify the exact detail, and it seems that the regulator is content with a technician that has a phone, and a laptop with a monitoring system on it.
In reality many ISPs lack the resources to implement 100% compliance - and the regulator has even less resources to check compliance.
Small business friendly regulation should exempt businesses with a low turnover from at least some of the costly requirements.
Sir
considering the security of the people installing the network while on the job is necessary and those people are aware because the profession call for safety for such as job or work.
Among the security issues of the network, what is cardinal is the network itself after installing or building it. This infrastructure must be considered in the countries’ CYBER-SECURITY POLICY. when is done the criminal or disgruntle people will know that this network is cover and violators would be punished for harming or damaging it.
In Africa, most of the rural areas are vulnerable because of the low presence of security in those areas. The laws will be the protection for the network and the management of the network should factor in their budget not only the maintenance but also the pay for those will be assigned to mind it.
Thanks
Mohammed V. Kamara
carlos
Policy & Regulation
7 November
Dear Muhammed, thank you very much for your question! I believe you are talking about the security of the people installing infrastructure. Please, let me know if that is not the case.
Specially when going up towers, people should wear the appropriate gear (working boots, helmet, climbing harness etc). Those supporting from the bottom of the tower should also wear helmets as well, as even a small screw falling from the top of a tower could cause fatal injuries. This gear is not at all expensive when compared to the cost of the tower itself, and should be factored in when costing the tools needed for installation.
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On Thursday, November 7, 2019, 07:13:48 PM GMT, Creym via Community Networks [email protected] wrote:
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