Cyber Space Security: Senate Alerts NSA Over Cyber-Attacks

By Augustine Osayande

The Senate on Tuesday has asked the National Security Adviser to alert all security agencies and financial institutions in the country about the current and threatening dimension of cyber-attacks.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly also mandated its Committee on ICT and Cybercrime to immediately convoke a National Stakeholder Conference on Cyber Security with a view to stimulate a collective reflection among relevant stakeholders and articulating a national and broad-based approach to keeping the country ahead of the challenge.

The resolution of the Senate follow a motion on worrisome dimension of Cyber-Crime and Insecurity- urgent need for concerted efforts to secure Nigerian’s Cyberspace sponsored by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo North).

According to the Senator, the positive posture of ICT is being dampened by malicious activities of criminal elements in society which invade the cyberspace. This he said poses risks to businesses, national economies and security.

Senator Abdulfatai further stated that studies that there are over 70% about 3,500 cyber-attacks on the Nigeria ICT space have resulted to loss of over $450 million. He added that the government servers are currently under serious threat. “Oversight findings of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime reveal that ICT shortfall in the country is enormous, that Nigeria’s cyber space is porous and the system lack a well structured and effective approach to cybercrime control” Abdulfatai said.

He expressed concerned for an urgent need to up-scale Nigeria’s consciousness towards protection of the country’s cyber space.