NSA, Microsoft tackle cyber-security scourge in Nigeria

In a renewed drive to tackle headlong, advancing cyber crime challenges in Nigeria, Microsoft Nigeria have joined forces with Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other industry stakeholders to organise the first ever National Cybersecurity Capacity Building Workshop with the theme Balancing Cybersecurity Risks, Innovation and National Security.

With over N159 billion lost by Nigerians through online scam and identity theft between 2000 and 2013, as well as 2,175 websites defaced within the same period, the cyber workshop is a timely education and awareness intervention for security and law enforcement and other ICT regulatory agencies in Nigeria for enhancing the security of the country’s cyberspace so as to checkmate cyber crime promptly.

Conscious of the diversity of implications of the nation’s risk exposure in cyberspace, the Federal Government as a matter of urgency, put in place cohesive measures towards addressing the emerging risks effectively.

These are: Development of the Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy documents; Establishment of the Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act 2015; Establishment of the National Cyber Monitoring Centre, i.e. the Nigeria’s National Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) Operation Centre; Establishment of National Computer Forensics Lab for cybercrime investigations by all security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and establishment of effective collaboration mechanism with international cybersecurity organisations.

In his welcome speech at the opening of the two-day event, Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, represented by Isaac Idu, director of internal security in the office, said, “the cyberspace virtual global domain while dismantling barriers to commerce, is increasingly transforming our economy and security posture, creating opportunities for innovations and the means to improve general welfare of the citizens.

Since cybersecurity had taken the dimension of global phenomena, which requires concerted efforts of both the private and public strategy to tame it, Monguno expressed happiness that Microsoft as a key partner was aligning itself with ONSA to provide a secure online space in the country as part of efforts to ensure security strategy to secure the cyber space.

Kabelo Makwane, managing director, Microsoft Nigeria, said the partnership on the workshop was borne out of the desire to support ONSA, Federal Government, to grow capacity with respect to global approaches to National Cybersecurity Strategy.

On the contribution of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) towards the protection of the Nigerian Cyberspace, the director-general, Peter Jack said the agency had established the NITDA’s cert.NG centre to police the cyberspace.

Noting that the time had come for multi-stakeholder’s strategy to combat all forms of cybercrimes and identity theft, Jack said of the 2,175 websites that had been defaced, 585 were actually government websites.

The agency is constantly involved in critical role in capacity building through the agency’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) centres established in 2014, he said, adding, “We are also concerned and have started the Child Online Campaign. We believe strongly in multi stakeholder’s strategy, as we have worked closely with ONSA in formulating the national cyber-security policy formulation and documents.”