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By Chinenye Anuforo, [email protected]
In combating cyber attacks, which pervade public and private organisations globally, leading to asset depletion and financial losses, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has intensified efforts in raising awareness for protecting cyber space to promote a secure digital economy.
In the same vein, the importance of investing in security of cyber space with the application of technologies and processes to protect systems, networks, programmes and data from attacks was also brought to the fore by NITDA’s director-general, Kashifu Inuwa, at a virtual event to commemorate this year’s Cyber Security Awareness Week.
The event was aimed at sharing insights on the numerous careers that cybersecurity offers and the influence of NITDA in its effective propagation.
The DG, while giving his welcome remarks, expressed his excitement at the event, which he described as timely and appreciated all participants in the nationwide awareness.
Inuwa, who was represented by the agency’s assistant director, Cybersecurity Department, Mr. Michael Arowosegbe, stated that this year’s event, tagged #BeCyberSmart, was geared towards analyzing issues surrounding the detection of cyber crimes and raising awareness on how individuals, private organisations and government agencies can protect themselves in the cyber space, with focus on careers in cybersecurity.
“Cyber criminals have been taking advantage of the digital transformation to exploit human credibility and other technical vulnerabilities in hardware and software, ranging from seizing control of infrastructure to stealing sensitive data,” he said.
Inuwa averred that African nations during the pandemic were the target for cyber criminals who used AI technologies in manipulating video and audio recordings in transmitting false information for their attacks.
He further stated that combating cybercrime, which is a huge threat to national security, was one of NITDA’s topmost priorities.
The DG asserted that “since the digital economy leverage on the cyber space, which is characterized with evolving cyber threat, the need to enable a continuous growth and progress of the digital economy, cyber security is key.”
While laying emphasis on the importance of cybersecurity in the development of digital economy, the NITDA boss mentioned that the nation’s digital economy which has raised the bar on security, privacy and trust of stakeholders is the fundamental enabler of a sustainable digital economy through a threat-free cyber space.
“Measures must be put in place by all means necessary to gain the confidence of stakeholders who are the enablers of digital economy and improve the cybersecurity to mitigate all these cyber attacks via measures such as engaging in massive cybersecurity capacity building”, he concluded.
A panelist session was held afterwards with various Cyber Security experts within the ecosystem who exchanged ideas on how parameters such as tools, techniques, talents, trainings and triangulations can be exploited in creating formidable cyber security experts in the country.
