MTN trains over 100 small businesses on cyber security

Over 100 small and medium-scale enterprises in Nigeria have benefited from a cybersecurity awareness training organised by Africa’s largest telecom operator, MTN.

The telco said the training became necessary due to the rising spate of attacks on cyberspace and losses businesses risk as a result of the frequent attacks.

Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity firm, noted in a recent report that attacks have increased by 89 percent in 2022. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also noted that Nigeria has lost $500 million due to cyberattacks.

“There is no better time to talk about cybersecurity than now because we live in a digital world, and the reality is that COVID-19 has accelerated the usage of technology for everyone,” Peter Adewale, co-founder of DigitalEncode and Chief Visionary Officer at DigitalEncode

Adewale says there is a need for situational awareness about the risks of cyberattacks.

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“It is important to build capacity and train people because people are an essential part of cybersecurity, and you can’t go wrong when you train people,” he said.

Anietie Jude, Senior Manager, Information Security, MTN Nigeria said the objective of the telco is to improve the safety of Nigerian lives and businesses.

“Cyber security is everyone’s business and we need to ensure everyone is cybersmart,” Jude said.

He notes that small businesses in Nigeria need to be better informed about the dangers and threats they face because they are often the target of these attacks, as they often lack the resources to invest in a cybersecurity team.

“It is important that SMEs start to take cybersecurity seriously; they must imbibe this culture because cyber-attacks can happen to anyone. Events like this are important because they raise awareness and remind people that they must be cyber-aware,” said Nkiruka Joy Aimienoho, Associate Director, Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Resilience, PwC.

The event, themed “Building a Cybersecurity Intelligent Quotient” furthers MTN’s commitment to sensitizing SME owners and the general public on the dangers of cyber-attacks and how to mitigate such attacks.