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Information Network Security Agency

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 10 min
Information Network Security Administration
Agency overview
Formed2006
JurisdictionGovernment of Ethiopia
HeadquartersWollo Sefer, Ethio China St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
EmployeesClassified
Annual budgetClassified
Agency executive
  • Tigist Hamid, Director General of the Information Network Security Agency
Parent departmentOffice of Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Parent agencyMinistry of Peace
Websitehttps://www.insa.gov.et

The Information Network Security Administration or INSA (Amharic: የመረጃ መረብ ደህንነት አስተዳደር, romanized: Yemereja Mereb Dehninet Astedader) is the national signals intelligence and cybersecurity agency of Ethiopia, founded when the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) was the ruling party of Ethiopia.[1]

History

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The Information Network Security Administration (INSA) was established during the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) era.[1] As part of the War on Terror, Ethiopia emerged as an 'anchor state' for American policy and Western interests in the Horn of Africa. INSA was created with support from the United States government, particularly in the context of the 2006 invasion of Somalia aimed at toppling an Islamic government. The original purpose of the agency was to intercept and analyze intelligence primarily from Somalia.[2]

The legal basis of creating INSA in 2006 was the Council of Ministers Regulation No.130/2006, with goals including defence of Ethiopian information infrastructure.[citation needed] Among the initial activities of INSA was spying on dissidents among the Ethiopian diaspora using "sophisticated intrusion and surveillance software", and to lay legal charges against journalists and opposition activists and politicians of "treason" and "terrorism".[1] The Council of Ministers Regulation No.250/2011 and Proclamation No.808/2013 updated the initial legal definitions of INSA.[3]

In 2021, INSA shifted to new headquarters in a building constructed near Wello Sefer at a cost of Br 2.1 billion. The new building is shared by the Ministry of Peace, Artificial Intelligence Center, and Financial Intelligence Center.[4]

Leadership and structure

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On 20 April 2018, Temesgen Tiruneh was appointed Director-General of INSA,[5] who later become director of NISS. As of February 2021, the head of INSA was Shumete Gizaw.[6] In 2024 Tigist Hamid became Director-General of INSA,[7] replacing Solomon Soka.[citation needed]

In October 2018, responsibility for INSA was given to the Ministry of Peace.[8] It was reverted back to the office of the prime minister in October 2021.[9]

Officers working for INSA at the Addis Ababa Headquarters and Head Office

Activities

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Cyberdefence

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INSA stated in 2023 that during nine months, it had limited the damage from 4400 attempted and successful cyberattacks against Ethiopian institutions.[10]

Surveillance

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INSA plays a role in surveillance and internet censorship in close cooperation with Ethio telecom and other government agencies. As of 2014, INSA had the technical ability to listen to live mobile phone calls, while Ethio telecom did not.[11] In 2013, INSA employees had access to the email and other passwords of users of Woredanet (funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank), Schoolnet (funded by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme), and Agrinet.[11]: 61 

Role in arrests of dissidents

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See also: human rights in Ethiopia

In 2014, Human Rights Watch found that INSA played a significant role in police and security services' surveillance of Ethiopian citizens' private communications that led to the arbitrary detention of political dissidents.[11][12]

2019 password incident

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In 2019, INSA was the subject of notoriety when a crack revealed that more than half of a sample of 300 agents were using extremely simple passwords.[13]

Social networks

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In 2021, INSA ran accounts promoting Ethiopian federal government points of view on Facebook. Facebook closed the accounts, describing them as "inauthentic". The Director of INSA described the accounts as covering "the reality in Ethiopia" and stated that INSA would develop an Ethiopian social media network.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Editorial: Ethiopia must end intimidation campaign against academics and activists". Awash Post. 2020-12-05. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  2. ^ Gardner, Tom (2024-06-20). The Abiy Project: God, Power and War in the New Ethiopia. Oxford University Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-911723-10-3.
  3. ^ "duties and responsibilities - en - INSA". insa.gov.et. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  4. ^ "PM Inaugurates INSA's New Headquarters Building (April 17, 2021) - Embassy of Ethiopia". 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  5. ^ "PM appoints Federal Gov't Officials". Walta. 20 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Norwegian professor's life threatened by Ethiopians". Bergens Tidende/Tghat. 2021-02-11. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  7. ^ "Two of Ethiopia's Intelligence, Security Institutions Get New Leadership". Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2024-06-29. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  8. ^ Shaban, Abdur Rahman Alfa (2018-10-17). "Ethiopia's Minister of Peace: the country's most powerful woman?". Africanews. Archived from the original on 2020-12-24. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  9. ^ "News: PM Abiy forms new gov't; adds 20 institutions including NISS, INSA, investment & financial security accountable to his office". Addis Standard. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b Ethiopia – Not Free – 26/100, Freedom House, 2024, Wikidata Q126938434, archived from the original on 29 June 2024
  11. ^ a b c 'They Know Everything We Do' Telecom and Internet Surveillance in Ethiopia (PDF), Human Rights Watch, 25 March 2014, Wikidata Q126938305, archived (PDF) from the original on 29 June 2024
  12. ^ Felix Horne (3 October 2017), How US Surveillance Helps Repressive Regimes—the Ethiopia Case, Human Rights Watch, Wikidata Q126938205, archived from the original on 29 June 2024
  13. ^ Kay, Felicity (30 May 2019). "Report: Ethiopian INSA Agents Hacked: 142 agents chose the predictable password 'P@$$w0rd'". Safety Detectives. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 13 October 2019.


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