LUSAKA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Zambia's cabinet has approved the establishment of a national cyber security policy to ensure responsible use of social media and to protect users of social media, a statement released on Tuesday said.

The National Cyber Security Policy will also ensure effective mechanisms are put in place for a well-coordinated governance framework on cyber security in order to foster the creation of a secure, reliable and trustworthy cyber environment that increases confidence.

"The government, through this policy, will take responsibility of ensuring that the public sector, private sector, and civil society are not only aware of the dangers of cyberspace, but also that the respective sectors take necessary measures of securing themselves," the statement said.

The policy will also assist in inculcating a culture of cyber security and protect victims against cybercrimes, guide the mechanism of coordinating cybersecurity matters and develop high local technical skills in cyber security, it added.

It also provides for child online protection and facilitates the identification, declaration and protection of national critical infrastructure.