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Burkina Faso • E-Government

205 public platforms audited: Burkina Faso secures its digital State

Digitising public services without securing them means exposing citizens' data and the continuity of the State. Burkina Faso has taken the lesson to heart: ANSSI-BF has mapped 1,460 public platforms, audited 205 live portals through penetration testing and supported 28 bodies in hardening their infrastructure. Behind these figures lies a change of doctrine: “security by design” becomes a requirement at every stage, from design to operation. For African States, the stakes are clear: protecting civil registries and tax and medical records, and upholding their digital sovereignty. Discover in our carousel the results of this campaign, the remediation methodology and the lessons for the sub-region.

By Ibrahim DOUMBOUYASenior Governance, Risk and Compliance Consultant

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REGULATION & SOVEREIGNTY

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso • E-Government

SECURING THE DIGITAL STATE:
Burkina Faso audits 205 public platforms

Mapping, vulnerability audits and institutional support: ANSSI-BF's action plan to protect the civil service.

ADT Focus | Public Service Cybersecurity in AfricaIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance Consultant
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Operational Results

1. The Scale of the Security Campaign

1 460

Platforms mapped
An exhaustive inventory of the state's entire digital estate to establish the attack surface.

205

Platforms audited
Penetration testing and remediation of critical flaws on live public portals.

28

Bodies supported
Hands-on support for institutions in hardening their infrastructure.

Key figures from ANSSI Burkina FasoIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance Consultant
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A Change of Course

2. From "Digital First" to "Security by Design"

⚠️ The Trap of Rushed Digitisation

Digitising public services without auditing them first exposes government to massive risks of citizen data leaks and sabotage of core state functions.

🛡️ Burkina Faso's Doctrine

Security is no longer an afterthought but a mandatory requirement built into every stage: design, development, launch and operation.

Embedding cybersecurity in public governanceIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance Consultant
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Sovereignty

3. Why Public IT Security Is Vital

👤 Citizens' Trust

  • Protecting civil registries and tax and medical records.
  • Preventing identity theft and targeted phishing.
  • Guaranteeing continuous access to online government services.

🏛️ National Resilience

  • Protection against ransomware and defacement of official websites.
  • Fighting corruption through tamper-proof traceability.
  • Upholding state authority and digital sovereignty.
The strategic stakes of e-government in AfricaIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance Consultant
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Best Practice

4. A Standard State Remediation Methodology

🔍 Mapping

Inventory every subdomain, API and database exposed to the internet.

🎯 Continuous Pentesting

Test portal resilience regularly, before and after deployment.

⚡ Rapid Patching

Apply security patches without delay and isolate obsolete, non-compliant systems.

Audit and administrative compliance standardsIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance ConsultantSlide 5 / 7

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Outlook

5. A Model for the Sub-Region

🤝 Active Governance

ANSSI-BF's work shows why every country needs a national authority with real powers of oversight over public information systems.

📊 Pooling Resources

Centralising audits cuts assessment costs sharply and levels up security across every ministry.

Regional benchmarking of digital securityIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance Consultant
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Conclusion

The Big Takeaway & What Comes Next

“Digital trust in public administration cannot be decreed: it is earned through rigorous, continuous and uncompromising audits.”

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#AfricaDataTalk #BurkinaFaso #ANSSIBF #EGovernment #Cybersecurity #GRCIbrahim DOUMBOUYAGovernance, Risk and Compliance Consultant
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