Analysis of Cybersecurity in Kenyan Government and Educational Infrastructure

Abstract

Kenya's rapid digitalization of government and educational services has increased their exposure to cyber-attacks. There has been an increase in phishing, ransomware, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) at-tacks, which are now escalating toward potential impacts on essential digital infrastructure. This study high-lights significant incidents such as the 2023 Anonymous Sudan attack on the eCitizen platform and cyber-attacks targeting Kenyan universities. The existing defenses against cyber-attacks are based on traditional measures such as firewalls and antivirus. These have proven to be inadequate given the sophisticated nature of evolving cyber threats. This study assesses the role of AI in threat detection systems offering real-time capabilities for a quick autonomous response. AI and blockchain are emerging as critical solutions to suppli-cate the existing gaps. AI performs a dual function; it fortifies defenses while offering offense, as AI-driven assaults introduce contemporary defenses with a new set of challenges. As cloud adoption grows, these sys-tems could easily become the prominent targets of attacks, thus reiterating the importance of precise cyber-security measures. AI-driven threat detection substantially reduce response times, while blockchain technol-ogy offers secure, immutable methods for storing sensitive data such as academic records and digital identi-ties. This study proposes the application of AI for fast detection of threats, the use of blockchain for secure storage, increase in staff training, and provision for a common cybersecurity protocol. Public-private part-nerships can mitigate high implementation costs, making it feasible for these recommendations. These measures are vital for reducing cyber threats and safe guarding Kenya digital infrastructure. This will sup-port Kenya digital transformation goals.