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•As cyber attacks exceeds $6trn

By Emmanuel Elebeke, ABUJA

The National Security Adviser to the President, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, retd, said yesterday the federal government was employing Information Technology, IT systems to aid security agencies in tackling the challenge of insecurity in the country.

The NSA, disclosed this at this year’s Cyber Secure Nigeria Conference organised by the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria, CSEAN with the theme “Cybersecurity: An imperative in tackling insecurity in Nigeria” holding  in Abuja.

Monguno, who was represented on the occasion by Maj. Gen. Akesode Samad, said with the application of robust IT systems, a lot more could be achieved in this regards as IT will continue to play a critical role in aiding the success of law enforcement agencies across the globe.

He said the Federal Government had made frantic efforts to implement the Cybercrimes Act 2015 with the establishment of ngCERT and National Digital Forensic Laboratory, among others, with a view to ensuring the safety and security of cyberspace as well as provide timely support to security and law enforcement agencies.

In a bid to harness the benefits of the digital revolution, while effectively combating the increasing risks of cyber threats, the NSA pointed out that the Federal Government had also reviewed Nigeria’s maiden National Cyber Security Policy,  NCPS 2014 and formulated a comprehensive 2021 edition.

This is in addition to enactment of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 by government as the legal framework to codify criminality in the cyberspace.

According to him, the document presents the national roadmap for addressing the emerging threats in the cyber domain and enhancing progressive use of Nigeria’s cyberspace.

‘‘It also contains an Implementation Plan which captures the responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders towards actualizing the initiatives proffered therein. This all important task has never been more imperative than these contemporary times where the hostilities in the on-going Russia and Ukraine crisis has heighten cyber-attacks on Critical Infrastructure, with some of these cyber-attacks affecting CNII in Nigeria,’’ he added.

The NSA explained that the Office of the National Security Adviser had been collaborating and engaging local and international partners to optimize the capacity of security and law enforcement agencies to harness the potentials of cyber-resources to address most of the nation’s contemporary challenges.

In his address, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, said cyber attacks had exceeded $6 trillion and was expected to exceed $20 trillion by 2025.

To protect the nation from further attacks, the minister said what needed to be done was to secure the cyber space.