MTN Masterclass highlights cybersecurity, AI and trust -

By SELORM GBORBIDZI, Accra

The Chief Executive Officer of Creative Waves Consulting, Kwame Andah, has cautioned corporate leaders and decision makers to develop a keen sense of digital awareness to prevent their operations being compromised by hackers and other bad actors on the internet.

He said there is the need for leaders to have a deep understanding of verification principles and organisational accountability structure if they are to keep their oganisations safe from attacks.

Speaking at the 3rd installation of the MTN Masterclass for 2026, he said that this is imperative if they want to build trust in their organisations.

Touching on the increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in the corporate environment, he advised entrepreneurs to bar their workers from sharing sensitive client and organisational information with these AI tools.

He urged users to scrape anything personal and sensitive they have about themselves before making their input into their chosen model.

He also stressed the need for human verification of whatever work these AI tools churn out to prevent public embarrassment and the showcasing of hallucinatory works.

Nanatunde Davies, Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk; Regulatory Risk and Compliance at MobileMoney Fintech Limited (MMFL), speaking on cyber-security and digital trust, said there is a need to balance security and convenience for the customer.

According to her, customer-centric businesses tend to prioritise customer convenience over security, whilst security-focused businesses tend to prioritise customer security, but businesses should build security features that are proportionate to the risk when designing their products in order not to be excessive.

She outlined some things that companies and individuals can take to ensure their protection online, including using strong passwords, multifactor verification, using password managers, and having backups in case of disruptions.

She also advice the audience to switch off their machines regularly to ensure that they get the security updates that are necessary to keep their data safe.

Consultant-in-Chief at MyndShop, Mawuko Afadzinu, speaking on the topic, ‘Beyond trade: Turning customer trust into loyalty and long term value,’ Told attendees that the only way to build trust is to deliver on their promised quality consistently.

He also advised them to anticipate all potential problems before they arise. In so doing they will build loyalty with their clients, which will then translate into advocacy.

At this point, he said, “it becomes impossible for these people to leave.” Even when issues occur such costumers are likely to defend the business.

According to him, credibility should be established as a characteristic before there is a crisis. He however stressed if that crisis situation does arise, “you should be open, candid and honest, and make sure where you can, you genuinely show that you are sorry, and there is a right level of restoration. In so doing you are likely to redeem the trust, or even enhance it.”

The Founder and CEO of Stratcomm Africa, Esther Cobbah, noted in her delivery that a lot of organisations work inside-out, but to build trust, she said they need to work outside-in, and in so doing, build trust from outside the organisation.

“Once you do that, then you align that with what you can truly, ethically provide. That will become your brand promise, because a promise delivered effectively, on time, consistently builds trust.”
She also advised entrepreneurs to ensure that they check their systems to ensure delivery of that promise.

Integral to this is ensuring that workers understand this principle and are willing to deliver on it.
She also reminded businesses that their communication strategy is a proactive tool for mitigating crisis response.

“Proactivity is key to ensuring that your business survives, to ensuring that your reputation survives and grows,” she stressed.