NLGRB Uganda’s ISO/IEC 27001 Certification to Strengthen Information Security
In Uganda, the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has set a national precedent by achieving ISO/IEC 27001 certification, demonstrating its commitment to safeguarding citizen data and protecting national digital infrastructure from evolving cybersecurity threats.
ISO/IEC 27001 is an international benchmark for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Operating under a public mandate to supervise casinos, sports betting, and lotteries while protecting citizens from the adverse effects of gaming, the Board’s certification signals a shift from routine IT compliance to institutional risk governance.
The expansion of digital gaming platforms and online betting infrastructure in Uganda has fundamentally changed regulatory operations. Supervision no longer relies solely on physical venue inspections, as it also requires the real-time collection, processing, and monitoring of large volumes of operator and consumer data.
As detailed in An ISO 27001 Certification Journey, a documentary produced in partnership with Sentinel Africa, the Board’s certification journey offers important governance lessons for the region.
Denis Mudene Ngabirano, NLGRB Chief Executive Officer emphasizes: “The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board is now ISO 27001 certified. It’s not just a certificate on our wall. It’s commitment to protecting the information that we deal with. As a regulator, we handle very sensitive information that we deal with, and as a gaming board, we’ve adopted technology as our driver for all the processes that we carry out.”
This digital transformation is taking place within a broader national context. Uganda has invested heavily in digitising citizen services, which presents real privacy and security risks for individuals and enterprises alike.
A key lesson from NLGRB’s certification journey is that information security cannot remain confined to the IT department. Historically, the Board took a primarily technical approach to security, relying on controls such as firewalls, endpoint protection, and system access restrictions.
The licensing department, for instance, is a key point of entry for sensitive market data. Senior Licensing Officer Isaac Koshaho explains that licensing operations collect extensive data from regulated entities and the public: “Indeed many people think that information security is only something that concerns IT, but actually, from my perspective and from the work I do it is something that concerns us all concerns us in licensing because we do collect a lot of data from our people we regulate from the public.”
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According to Stella Makona Simiyu, Co-founder and Managing Director of Sentinel Africa Consulting Uganda, benchmarking against ISO/IEC 27001 gave NLGRB a holistic framework for applying best-practice controls. Rather than addressing vulnerabilities through piecemeal technical fixes, the standard requires continuous improvement and independent external oversight, helping the Board sustain compliance.
NLGRB’s achievement extends beyond its internal operations. As one of Uganda’s pioneering government entities to secure ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation, the Board provides a reference model for public-sector institutions and private enterprises. Senior Licensing Officer Isaac Koshaho says that aligning operations, data management, and IT infrastructure with the standard brings the regulator’s processes in line with global standards.
The certification also changes how the regulator engages with the gaming industry. With stronger internal data protections in place, NLGRB is better positioned to promote higher cybersecurity and player-protection standards across regulated gaming platforms. Compliance Officer Gershom Lukwago says the ultimate goal is to safeguard players by ensuring digital gaming environments are secure, transparent, and resilient against fraud.
Reflecting on the milestone, CEO Denis Mudene Ngabirano said: “ISO 27001 certification is a strategic business initiative. It’s not just a compliance activity. It is important that all the CEOs out there, be it private companies, be it government entities, adopt this certification.
The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board is now ISO 27001 certified. It’s not just a certificate on our wall. It’s commitment to protecting the information that we deal with. I take this moment to thank staff, management, the board and the ministry of finance and our implementing partner Sentinel Uganda Limited in facilitating this intense but very interesting journey in ensuring protecting the information that we utilize in ensuring that we undertake our mandate.”
