Cyber Insecurity in E-Commerce Transactions in Cameroon: What Prospects for the Digital Economy

Abstract

Today, the digital economy or developing the digital economy is the dream of every state government. Due to the success stories envisaged in some digital economies, cyber-attacks have emerged in the form of cybercrimes by cyber criminals. As a result, the advancement of e-commerce transactions has held back worldwide especially in Cameroon. Cyber criminality has become a major concern to the actors of E-commerce as cyber criminals feel more secured operating online without using guns. The global nature of cyber-attacks in e-commerce has made it inevitable for stakeholders to take action against its prevalence in online business but despite these efforts, there is little or no literature on cyber criminality in Cameroon per se. This paper attempt to explain some threats of cyber insecurity and its potential damaging effects in e-commerce transactions in Cameroon as the country is growing digitally. The paper also seeks to examine the legal mechanisms put in place by the government to build trust in electronic communication networks and information systems thereby filling the gap in the literature by critically examining the 2010 cyber-crimes and security law as well as the Budapest Convention of 2001 relating to cybercrimes. In achieving these, we applied the doctrinal approach in assembling information consonant to the research. The paper concludes with some robust recommendations that could be contributive in reducing the damaging effects in Cameroon in particular and the world at large, amongst them is streamlining data protection and cyber-crime laws on e-commerce transactions.