The 2019 edition of the Cyber Secure Nigeria conference is set to address Nigeria’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks, where it is believed that cybercriminals are collaborating, sharing information and providing 24/7 support services in the dark web on various cybercrime activities.
The organizer of the conference, Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) stated this in a statement issued and signed by its President, Mr. Remi Afon.
“In the past few years, Nigeria has become more vulnerable to various cyber-attacks with no adequate controls and legal framework in place to combat this menace. As an established and leading voice in the cybersecurity space, CSEAN seeks to open discussion to address these challenges during the conference,” the statement noted.
It alluded that the increase in cybercrime in Nigeria can be attributed to lack of policy direction and leadership by the government to combat the scourge, adding that the government and private sectors in Nigeria are working in silos to combat various cybercrime activities ranging from malware creation, compromised passwords sale, zero-day vulnerabilities.
“To adequately tackle cybercrime in Nigeria, the government must partner and engage with industry and cyber security organizations,” the statement advised.
This year’s Cyber Secure Nigeria Conference, which is the fifth edition has become Nigeria’s foremost cyber security conference. The conference is scheduled to take place in Abuja, April 9-11, 2019 at the CBN International Training Centre, Maitama, Abuja. This year’s conference theme is “Implementing Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practices in Nigeria”.
According to the statement, this year’s edition promises to invoke collaborative effort of cybersecurity industry practitioners, business owners, academia, industry, government, military and law enforcement agencies with a view to identify areas of common interests and proffer inter-workings on ways to tackle cybercrime.
The statement reads in part: “This compelling 3-day high profile event will attract the best in cybersecurity Industry and feature rich cybersecurity content of informative and educational value. Whilst tech innovation is an empowering force behind booming businesses and growing economies around the world, the increasing integration of digital technologies in virtually every aspects of society is also exposing us to numerous cyber risks.
“With rapid technological advances, cloud adoption, blockchain implementation, artificial intelligence and data science, it’s no surprise that the potential for cyberattacks and data breaches remains a top concern in today’s digital landscape. According to the recently released Global Risks Report 2019 by The World Economic Forum (WEF), massive data theft and cyberattacks ranked among the top five risks facing the society today. Cybersecurity reports from different sources attest to alarming levels of increased cyber threats and compromises, suffice to say that a business enterprise or livelihood can go up in flames due to cyber-attack. We cannot stand by and watch this spectacle unfold.
“It is estimated that Africa’s e-commerce industry will be worth US$75 billion by 2025 with Nigeria in the lead according to a 2016 report by the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. The number of active mobile phone lines in Nigeria rose to 146 million in January 2018 based on NCC’s report. As mobile technologies are transforming Nigerian society by providing a major form of connectivity and social networking platform, consequently the country has become both source and target of cybercrime activities. Today, 60% of fraud comes from mobile devices; of that figure, 80% comes from mobile apps. Cybercriminals are continuously targeting mobile banking app to initiate fraudulent transactions.”
