CWG’s cybersecurity expansion to protect manufacturers from rising cyber threats

By Ebenezer Chike Adjei NJOKU

CWG Ghana, a leading technology solutions provider, is expanding its cybersecurity offerings into the country’s manufacturing sector, amid growing concerns about digital vulnerabilities in industrial operations.

The move comes as the global industrial cybersecurity market is expected to grow from US$16.8 billion in 2022 to US$36 billion by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5 percent, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets.

CWG Ghana, which has primarily served the banking and telecommunications industries during its more than 20 year tenure in the country, now identifies manufacturing as a key growth area for 2026.

“Currently, there is not much of an emphasis on the manufacturing sector… it is part of our focus this year to expand our reach into the manufacturing sector,” its Managing Director, Harriet Yartey remarked.

The expansion strategy is driven by the rising cybersecurity threats faced by manufacturers as they adopt more digital technologies. A study by Deloitte found that in 2021, 77 percent of manufacturing organisations experienced at least one cyber incident, with the average number of incidents per organisation being 48.

“For every industry or for every business, you require cybersecurity one way or the other,” Mrs. Yartey emphasised. “Information is critical, and so if you don’t put in the right cybersecurity solutions, you may end up compromising your information. And if care is not taken, you may even end up losing your data,” she added.

The Ponemon Institute’s 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report revealed that the manufacturing industry had the second-highest average data breach cost at US$4.93 million per incident, just behind the healthcare industry.

CWG Ghana’s push into the manufacturing sector is bolstered by its certification as a Tier 1 cybersecurity vendor by Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), a designation that required meeting a series of stringent processes set by the authority. This certification has already enhanced the company’s credibility with existing clients in the financial and telecommunications sectors, the Managing Director, noted.

The company has also recently attained the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, a globally recognised standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS).

The achievement demonstrates the company’s unwavering commitment to data protection, operational resilience, and international best practices in cybersecurity.

The certification, which was awarded following a rigorous independent audit, covers key areas of CWG Ghana’s operations, including sales, finance, project management, technical operations, data centres, and disaster recovery sites.

The company’s manufacturing sector initiative will draw on its partnerships with global technology providers, including CyberArk, SphereSoft, and Thales. CWG Ghana also maintains infrastructure partnerships with HP, Dell, NetApp, Veritas, and Convolt, positioning it to offer comprehensive security solutions for industrial operations.

The expansion strategy includes a focus on data protection, a critical concern for manufacturers. You are generating data out of it, and that data also needs to be protected. You are also dealing with human beings, and those human beings, you need to find a way of creating security awareness among them so that they align to best practices,” Mrs. Yartey explained.

To address evolving technological needs, CWG Ghana is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities. The company acknowledges that customer needs are evolving, citing a recent case where a banking client requested AI integration into an existing solution. “We do not have a choice, but also to invest in those areas, invest not just in solutions, but on the human resources,” the executive stated.

The importance of robust cybersecurity measures in the manufacturing sector is highlighted by a report by Siemens and the Ponemon Institute revealed that 56 percent of manufacturers have experienced an operational technology (OT) breach in the past 12 months, with the average cost of such a breach being US$4.6 million.

CWG Ghana’s manufacturing sector initiative comes as the company also eyes further expansion in the healthcare industry, where it has already begun operations. The company, which operates in four African countries including Nigeria, Cameroon, and Uganda, is positioning itself as a comprehensive cybersecurity provider in Ghana’s rapidly digitalizing business landscape, Mrs. Yartey added.

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