By Martin Ekpeke
The Nigerian Communications Commission INCC), has stated that though, it is not a security agency, it has always created an enabling environment to assist security and law enforcement agencies in investigating telecommunications related security incidents.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta stated this today at the Cyber Secure Nigeria Conference, organized by the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) in Lagos.
Danbatta, who was represented by the Commission’s Zonal Controller, Mr. Henry Ojiokpota highlighted that the telecom regulatory body had in various ways combated cybercrime and cyber security development. One of such ways is the relevant regulations to support security agencies on lawful interception.
He added that the championing of the SIM card registration project, which matches each SIM card with a biometric identity, serves as a key database on which government controls crime in the society.
“The dynamic nature of cyber terrorism threats demand that our capabilities be continually refined to provide the most effective containment strategy. Thus, we are implementing the National Cyber Security Strategy. We have also established a Cyber Security Incidence Responses Team (CSIRT) exclusively for the telecommunications sector,” he disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission has identified the absence of comprehensive and reliable demographic and biometric database as one of the numerous challenges in cybercrime management in Nigeria.
Other challenges, according to NCC are insufficient expertise in the area of cyber and information security, insufficient inter-agency, regional and international collaborations and lack of effective and functional forensic lab, technics and manpower to match the speed, anonymity and fleeting nature of evidence in cybercrime investigation.