Information Network Security Agency
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2006 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Ethiopia |
| Headquarters | Wollo Sefer, Ethio China St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Employees | Classified |
| Annual budget | Classified |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Office of Prime Minister of Ethiopia |
| Website | https://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]
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. Modelled after the National Security Agency, 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]
