As enlightenment and awareness campaign activities kick-off to mark this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called on Nigerians to be cyber security-conscious.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who gave the call in a statement issued by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, noted that being cyber security-conscious will guarantee online safety for Internet users, stressing that being conscious is everyone’s business and not reserved for a group of people.
Danbatta believes that as Internet users across mobile networks in Nigeria, which currently stand at 149.8 million as of August 2020 continue to rise, leading to an increase in digital financial transactions for e-commerce activities, there should be greater responsibility on the part of individuals and corporate internet users to protect themselves against cybercrimes.
“To keep the genuine individual and corporate Internet users safe, the NCC, as a regulator of the telecom sector, annually joins the rest of the world to create a lot of enlightenment around cybercrime in the month of October every year. We ensure that consumers are empowered through awareness and sensitisation campaigns, by providing information on both the positive and negative potentials available online, and measures required to safeguard themselves and their loved ones,” he said.
Danbatta emphasized that “Security is not reserved for a group of people, it is truly everyone’s business; bringing competence and knowledge to help build a safer and more inclusive information society.”
Danbatta restated the commitment of the Commission to continually embark on policy initiatives to enhance online security as well as educate and equip the consumers of telecoms services with information they need to be protected online.
The month of October every year is NCSAM globally, aimed at raising awareness about cybersecurity, and to provide the public with general knowledge and tools required for online safety.