If the future of Namibia is written in lines of code rather than on maps, who then guards the gateways of our digital nation? 

To understand cyber threats in Namibia is to confront the unsettling reality that the most dangerous wars of our time are fought not for territory or treasure, but for control over data, the new currency of power, identity and destiny. 

Undoubtedly, Namibia stands at a critical juncture where digital transformation and national security intersect. 

The reality is that, as we accelerate our modernisation agenda, embracing industrialisation, technological innovation and intellectual empowerment as a nation, we have simultaneously exposed ourselves to unprecedented vulnerabilities in cyberspace. 

Unfortunate, cyberthreats, unlike traditional security risks, evolve silently and relentlessly, often outpacing the pace of governmental and institutional preparedness. 

While numerous developmental programmes have been initiated in recent years to strengthen Namibia’s digital and institutional capacity, it cannot be contested that the implementation of cybersecurity strategies and policies remains uneven and, at times, reactive rather than anticipatory. 

In recent years, Namibia has recorded a sharp escalation in cyberattacks. 

Reports indicate that the country experienced over 2.7 million cyberattacks in 2022, averaging more than 7 000 attacks per day (The Namibian, 2023). 

We may all recall in 2024 when Telecom Namibia suffered a major data breach that likely exposed over 400 000 files, including possible sensitive client and institutional information. 

Therefore, it may be true to state that these incidents explained the nation’s limited cyber-defensive capacity. 

The National Cybersecurity Strategy (2022-2027) has been developed, and a Cybercrime Bill has been drafted to create a legal and institutional framework to address the growing menace.

 However, it remains a paper framework thus far. 

It is common knowledge that the disjunction between aspiration and execution represents not merely a technical gap but an existential challenge for national sovereignty, economic resilience and the collective security of citizens. 

The danger lies not only in external attacks but also in the internal complacency that arises when individuals underestimate the relevance of cybersecurity in their own lives. 

If the citizenry and leadership alike fail to internalise the urgency of this threat, I may be a great prophet to accurately predict that Namibia risks cultivating a digitally advanced yet strategically vulnerable society. 

Moreover, the promise of a modern, intellectually capable and industrialised Namibia will remain fragile unless the country embeds cybersecurity consciousness into every layer of its governance, education and civic engagement.

 I recommend without reservation that the governance must be strengthened through the establishment of a centralised national cybersecurity authority empowered with legal oversight, incident-response coordination and inter-agency integration. 

Such an authority would ensure the harmonisation of efforts among ministries, the financial sector and telecommunications operators, transforming fragmented responses into a unified national defence mechanism. 

Secondly, capacity development should be prioritised through the creation of specialised training programmes in all national universities and technical institutes, aimed at producing a new generation of cybersecurity professionals, forensic analysts and ethical hackers. 

We need the public education campaigns, digital literacy programmes and compulsory cybersecurity modules in schools and workplaces to foster a population that recognises cyber hygiene as a shared responsibility rather than a niche technical concern. 

It is unfortunate that, without this cultural shift, even the most sophisticated systems will remain vulnerable to human negligence and misinformation. 

I conclude that the true test of Namibia’s digital future is not how rapidly it innovates, but how wisely and securely we safeguard what we build.

*Dr Kennedy Mabuku is a Criminal Justice lecturer at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. The views expressed in this article are his.