Experts Urge Govt To Support Development Of Cyber Security System

Credit: InformationAge

STAKEHOLDERS in digital technology sector have urged Nigerian government to support individuals willing to venture into cyber security in order to develop the skill base needed to help organizations consistently operate without being vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The call was made during a sensitization workshop on the implementation of National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy 2021 for the Academia and Education Sector.

The experts said such intervention would not only boost security system of companies, but also lead to creation of industrial hub for cyber security in the country.

Member of the National Cyber security Advisory Council, Segun Olugbile remarked that given the rising cases of cyber attacks on individuals and corporate organizations, acquiring skills on cyber security is now a vital endeavour which many need to explore in order stay safe in the cyber world.

This is similar to a concern raised by Chief Operating Officer of CallPhone Ltd, Mr Precious Ekezie during the third edition of Prime Business Africa’s webinar on tech and African economies held on Tuesday, September 28.

Ekezie who talked about impact of cyber security on fintech industry, pointed out that companies spend huge sums of money to build cyber security system to stay protected from cyber attacks but fail to organize training to enable their staff acquire skills on cyber security.

He noted that many people are not security conscious cyber wise, hence the need for proper sensitization in that regard.

Olugbile on the other hand, urged government to provide effective policy that will set the right standard leading to formalization of the skills in cyber security so as to enable youths interested in it to develop it and deploy for positive use in the industries.

He said, “There are two types of unemployed youths in Nigeria. We have uneducated unemployed and educated unemployed.

“The educated unemployed are sophisticated.

“If you don’t engage them, they will provide alternative for themselves and cyberspace Internet provides such alternatives. If they are not properly channeled or motivated, they will use cyberspace for whatever intention.”

Olugbile stated that cyber security is an all-inclusive programme. He stressed the need for every organization across sectors of the economy to key into it, so as to operate in a cyber safe environment.

Cyber security expert, Dr Steven Bassey, from Nassarawa State University, encouraged industrial operators to see the need for a change of attitude towards issues of security in the cyberspace.

His words, “Every industry should look into forming the cyber culture, changing our attitudes and behavior towards compliance and making sure that we have standing policies that protects our network systems, our personal systems to protect anybody from eminent threats.”

The Nigeria National Cyber Security Policy and Strategy 2021 is a policy framework which “aims to strengthen cyber security governance and coordination and foster a trusted cyber environment that optimizes Nigeria’s cyber security readiness and coordination capacities towards addressing the nation’s cyber risk exposure,” as stated in the introductory part of the document.