EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Communication services in Malawi have been governed by the Communications Act (1998) which was developed during the era of second generation (2G) technologies. Since then, Malawi has seen the growth of access and usage of ICT services, including an increasing number of online transactions for services. The increasing demand for the ICT applications and services coupled with the provision of high-capacity fibre backbone connectivity across the nation has resulted in the creation of substantial opportunities for further growth in the ICT sector. It is also expected that these developments will drive significant socio-economic growth in Malawi. Consequently, and in an effort to create a conducive environment for the sustained growth and use of ICTs in Malawi, as well as address the threats that come with increased adoption of ICTs, the Government of Malawi undertook a review of existing legislation and developed the Communications Act (2016) and the Electronic Transactions & Cyber Security Act (2016). ICT has become a critical driver for socio-economic development, with the deployment and adoption of ICTs across the nation resulting in noteworthy improvements in all aspects of lives and institutional operations in the nation. However, a number of risks and threats exist or have emerged that restrict the smooth operation and resilience of ICT systems, and consequently the socio-economic development of the nation. This Strategy aims to provide a national framework for ensuring secure, safe and resilient cyberspace, as well as fostering trust and confidence in cyberspace by Malawians, by describing the high level strategic goals and specific objectives that provide the basis of the nation’s direction with respect to cybersecurity, and establishes actions that need to be taken. Chapter 1 of the strategy provides an introduction to cybersecurity in Malawi while chapter 2 details the guiding principles upon which the Strategy is built on, and which will underpin the implementation of the Strategy. Chapter 3 outlines the core components of the National Strategy including the vision mission statement, high-level strategic goals and specific objectives. It further describes the various actions necessary for achieving the Specific objectives and strategic goals of the strategy. Chapter 4 describes the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders in the implementation of the strategy and further proposes an approach for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the strategy. The implementation logical Page | 4