Ghana’s Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, recently unveiled a digital initiative aimed at revolutionizing the country’s transport sector.
The ‘Tap and Go’ system allows passengers to conveniently purchase bus tickets and book trips from the comfort of their homes.
However, concerns have been raised by some IT experts regarding the safety and security of the new technology.
Yayra Koku, a notable member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), took to Facebook to express his apprehensions about the initiative.
Mr Koku claimed to have discovered that the IP address associated with Bawumia’s Bus Monitoring system was hosted in China, raising questions about data privacy and security.
He said the system’s software could be easily accessed and manipulated by unauthorized individuals, potentially compromising passenger safety.
Also, Edward Adjei, a Tech Lead and Software Engineer, echoed Koku’s concerns, stating that he was able to bypass security protocols and gain access to sensitive user data and video recordings from the monitoring software’s server.
Mr Adjei highlighted several vulnerabilities in the system, including an outdated web server that could easily crash with certain payloads, posing a significant risk to data integrity and service availability.
Both of them stressed the need for urgent action to address these security flaws and safeguard user data.
They called on authorities to prioritize data privacy and implement robust security measures to prevent potential data breaches and protect passenger safety.
The revelations made by these IT experts have sparked widespread concern among the public and raised questions about the government’s oversight and due diligence in implementing the ‘Tap and Go’ policy.
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