Osinbajo, Ambode, Experts Seek Urgent Solution To Cyber Crime
Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and other experts in the telecommunication sector have said effective management of risk associated with cybercrime required collaboration between the government and the private sector.
Speaking at the maiden edition of the cyber security conference with the theme “Monitoring, Detection and Prevention: Keys to Organisational Growth” held in Lagos Osinbajo disclosed that a 31-member Cybercrime Advisory Council had been inaugurated and would work closely with the private sector to curb the menace.
He noted that the challenges of cybercrime globally is high, saying Nigeria must develop the necessary capacity to tackle cyber crime, and ensure all avenues that would give room to cybercriminals are blocked.
Represented by his Senior Special Adviser on ICT, Mr. Lanre Osibona , the Acting President said while government was keen on enthroning a digital economy, avenues that would give room to cybercriminals must be blocked thoroughly.
Osinbajo said that government would establish the right environment that is secure for businesses to thrive, especially as it relates to ICT development in the areas of smart cities and cyber security, among others.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode said the development of ICT was one of the defining events of the 20th century and had resulted in a paradigm shift in the way things used to be done, bringing with it incredible improvement in efficiency and effectiveness, cutting across all spheres of human endeavour.
Ambode noted that cyber-crime is a global phenomenon which poses potent threat to national security, organizational survival and corporate growth among others.
According to Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr.Olufemi Odubiyi, ‘The benefits that have continued to accrue to humanity with the advent of ICT cannot be quantified, while the issues of cyber fraud, hacking e.t.c cannot be completely wiped out.
“ The challenges, which I believe, are the reasons for this conference, would continuously lead to development of strategies that would prevent unauthorized access to vital or critical information and other resources’.
He opined that whatever strategies that are already in operation or would be recommended for implementation including legal provisions, processes and procedures must be subjected to periodic review to ascertain their effectiveness in the face of changing realities.
“This is very vital, considering the fact that cyber-crime strategies are continuously evolving. Counter cyber-crime strategies must therefore be dynamic and preemptive in order to forestall the potential colossal damage which may be monumental in terms of financial loss or threat to organisations going concern’ the Governor noted.
For the Chairman and Publisher of The Guardian Newspaper, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, Nigeria has shown a growing awareness of the need to strengthen cyber security, which includes initiating the registration of GSM users in 2011 and 2014 and the Central Bank of Nigeria launching a centralised biometric identification system for the banking industry, tagged Bank Verification Number (BVN).
The publisher reminded the audience that the Cybercrimes Act 2015 was the first legislation in Nigeria that deals specifically with cyber security, which was passed in May 2015 and gives effect to the 2011 ECOWAS Directive on fighting cybercrime.
“However, it must be seen as a first step that must be built into an institution”, she added.
