On Tuesday 21st February 2023, the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center commenced a four-day training on digital forensics for 10 police officers at the Home Suite Hotel, Aberdeen Freetown.

The training targeted officers involved in acquiring, processing, and preserving digital evidence to help build up their capacity in combating cybercrimes.

The center is a statutory body created by the Cybersecurity and Crime Act of 2021 in addressing cybersecurity issues, which include supporting law enforcement agencies in the fight against cybersecurity in Sierra Leone.

Mariama Yormah, National Coordinator confirmed that 10 police officers from the Computer Lab at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) benefited from the training, and three laptops containing various proprietary forensic software to help in the fight against cybersecurity and also help minimize the number of cybercrime cases throw out of court.

She stated the training was a result of examining a visit made by the NC3 in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) to key institutions involved in the fight against cybercrimes.

The training is to help understand the landscape and identify existing gaps hindering the effective implementation of the Act.

She highlighted the lack of procedures and requisite tools for handling and preserving electronic evidence in the Computer Lab at the Criminal Investigations Department as part of the findings made during the visit.