• The government validated the 2026-2030 National Cybersecurity Strategy to strengthen digital resilience amid rising attacks.

• Mali ranks Tier 4/5 in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, reflecting only “basic” national capabilities.

• Recent major breaches targeted the tax authority and Bank of Africa Mali, exposing gaps the new strategy aims to fix.

Mali faces growing cyberthreats and structures its national response. Authorities develop a roadmap to reinforce national resilience, modernize digital governance and protect increasingly targeted infrastructure.

The government formally validated the 2026-2030 National Cybersecurity Strategy during the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, December 5. The framework aims to strengthen the country’s digital resilience as cyberattacks multiply and risks increase across the digital transformation of the state and the economy.

“The sophistication of attacks and the financial damage they inflict on states and companies have turned cybersecurity into a global concern. Despite several legislative and regulatory texts adopted in recent years, Mali did not yet have a coordinated national strategy, which forced each actor to launch isolated actions,” the government said.

The roadmap aligns with major national development orientations, including “Mali Kura ɲɛtaasira ka bɛn san 2063 ma” and the 2024-2033 National Strategy for Emergence and Sustainable Development. These frameworks place digital transformation at the core of administrative modernization, public-service efficiency and economic growth.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy announced the strategy at the start of the year. The plan responds to a situation authorities consider worrying. The ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 ranks Mali at Tier 4 out of 5, a level that reflects “basic” capabilities in technical, organizational and skills-development components.

These limits became visible through several major attacks. In August 2022, Russian cybercriminals reportedly compromised data from 312,000 taxpayers at the Directorate General of Taxes. In February 2023, Bank of Africa Mali suffered one of the most significant cyberattacks recorded against a financial institution in the country. Identity theft and online fraud cases have also increased, affecting administrations, companies and individuals.

The implementation of the National Cybersecurity Strategy is expected to address the most urgent weaknesses in Mali’s digital ecosystem. The framework aims to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, create more consistent security standards, improve incident-response systems and structure cooperation with international partners.

Over time, the government expects the strategy to support a more reliable digital environment. Authorities see this as essential to sustain the digitalization of public services, encourage local innovation and attract additional investment into the digital economy.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum