CSA Fines EY Ghana GH¢360,000 for Providing Cybersecurity Services Without a Licence
The Cyber Security Authority has imposed an administrative penalty of GH¢360,000 on Ernst & Young, EY Ghana, for providing cybersecurity services without a valid Cybersecurity Service Provider licence.
According to a press release issued by the Authority, the action follows EY Ghana’s continued provision of regulated cybersecurity services, including services to owners of Critical Information Infrastructure, despite repeated directives from the CSA requiring compliance with the licensing regime under the Cybersecurity Act, 2020, Act 1038.
The CSA said it had specifically directed EY Ghana by correspondence dated 20 March 2026 to submit an application for a CSP licence within 15 days.
The Authority stated that EY Ghana failed to comply with three separate regulatory directives, a conduct it said constitutes a breach of Sections 49 and 92 of Act 1038, which prohibit the provision of regulated cybersecurity services without the requisite licence and provide sanctions for failure to comply with directives issued by the Authority.
Pursuant to Sections 49(2), 92(2) and 93 of Act 1038, the CSA imposed a penalty of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, for each of the three instances of non-compliance, resulting in a total administrative penalty of GH¢360,000.
EY Ghana has been directed to pay the penalty within 14 calendar days from the date of the final enforcement directive.
With immediate effect, EY Ghana has also been directed to cease and desist from providing all regulated cybersecurity services without the requisite licence, including Governance, Risk and Compliance services, provide written confirmation to the CSA that the affected services have ceased, and complete the application process for a Cybersecurity Service Provider licence.
The CSA emphasised that an application for a licence does not confer a licence to operate as a Cybersecurity Service Provider and that entities are required to obtain the requisite licence from the CSA before commencing the provision of regulated cybersecurity services.
The Authority further issued a strong warning to all organisations and professionals providing regulated cybersecurity services without the requisite licence to cease such services and regularise their operations immediately.
It noted that compliance is particularly critical where cybersecurity services are provided to owners of Critical Information Infrastructure, given that the security and resilience of these systems are essential to Ghana’s national security, economy and delivery of essential services.
The CSA made clear that the size, reputation, expertise or clientele of a service provider does not exempt it from Ghana’s cybersecurity laws and that all Cybersecurity Service Providers operating in Ghana are subject to the same regulatory requirements under Act 1038.
The Authority said it will continue to monitor compliance and take enforcement action against both institutions that engage unlicensed providers and entities that provide cybersecurity services without the requisite licence.
Such action, it added, may include administrative sanctions, court proceedings and publication of the names of unlicensed service providers, as permitted by law.
The CSA also urged organisations, particularly owners of Critical Information Infrastructure, to ensure that cybersecurity services are procured only from appropriately licensed service providers.
The press release, issued in Accra on August 18, 2026, reiterated the CSA’s commitment to protecting Ghana’s digital ecosystem and to using its regulatory powers to ensure that organisations entrusted with critical systems and sensitive information meet their cybersecurity obligations.
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