The so-called “Northern Corridor” partner states of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan have committed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on preventing and responding to the increasing threats of cybercrime facing the region.

The MoU on a Cyber Security Framework for Cooperation and Collaboration between the Northern Corridor Integration Projects Partner States is scheduled for signing in May during the Northern Corridor Integration Summit in Kampala, Uganda.

Cybercrime is a growing concern in East Africa, with Kenya’s cabinet secretary at the ministry of ICT Fred Matiangi estimating the country loses nearly KES2 billion ($22.56 million) to cybercrime each year.

Uganda, meanwhile, lost UGX1.5 billion ($575,000) to cybercrime in 2013, while Tanzania lost around TZS1.3 billion ($655,000).

“Partner States recognise that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have opened up new windows of opportunity and are tools that can accelerate their socio-economic growth,” the MoU says.

“Partner States also recognise that ICTs have also introduced a new types of threats such as cybercrime, cyber espionage, hacktivism, cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, to mention a few.”

The MoU goes on to say that these threats are on rise globally, proving borderless, dynamic and increasingly sophisticated.

With this in mind, it says the four countries will work together to establish a cyber security collaboration framework to prevent and respond to threats.

Cooperation will include the establishment of a Northern Corridor Cyber Incident Response Team (NC-CIRT), with states developing a collaborative framework to share cyber security information and coordinate incident handling.

The four countries will also work together to build technical capabilities to effectively detect, prevent and respond to cyber security incidents, while enhancing research and development capacities.

A Northern Corridor secure and trusted e-transaction mechanism will also be established, and the countries will collaborate to increase cyber security awareness through ICT security conferences, courses, workshops, exhibitions and other joint activities.

“The Partner States shall inform and consult each other on all project details of cooperation areas to ensure and facilitate full collaboration,” the MoU reads.

“The Partner States shall convene joint co-ordination meetings periodically and whenever necessary, to agree on the implementation, activity schedules, and review progress of all projects of co-operation areas under this MoU.”

The MoU is the latest in a string of ICT-related agreements from the East African countries.

In January Kenya and South Sudan signed another MoU, aimed at ensuring that ICT “becomes a prevalent component of communication” between the two countries.

The agreement allows for the laying of fibre optic cable alongside the road to be constructed from Eldoret to Nadapal up to Juba.

Meanwhile, at the recent Connected East Africa conference in Diani, Kenya, the four countries announced the extension of the One-Network-Area, which allows for cheaper roaming charges on voices and SMSs for citizens moving around the region - to data and mobile money.