The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami has reiterated Nigerian government’s commitment towards the fight against cybercriminals and has warned Nigerians against opening strange emails and using pirated software.
This was part of the keynote address, he delivered at the Annual Cyber Security Conference organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
“The Federal Government is irrevocably committed to strengthening cybersecurity in the country,” he assured at the conference with the theme, “Strengthening the Security and Resilience of the Nation’s Communications Infrastructure.”
According to the Minister, the volume of money being lost to cyber criminals globally explained the government’s commitment to securing the country’s national telecommunications infrastructure through necessary technical, legal and policy initiatives.
Pantami affirmed that the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) unveiled by President Buhari on November 28, 2019, is aimed at deepening access to digital services for a more efficient and effectively run economy. Accordingly, the Minister said the sixth of the eight pillars of the NDEPS thematically focused on ‘Soft Infrastructure’ is conceptualized to improve the cyber security architecture in the country.
“This Conference by the NCC is, therefore, fitting, as it aligns with the digital economy agenda of the government. So, as we deepen access to digital services in the country, I have to say that people need to know that once they are online, they are exposed to risks. For instance, just opening an email that you are not sure of the sender exposes your system and data to risks. Also, using pirated software should be avoided and we must update our software regularly to avoid being targets of cyber criminals,” Pantami said.
The Annual Cyber Security Conference was attended by representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, telecom companies, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) organisations, cyber security experts as well as representatives of institutions and agencies in the security governance sector and other relevant stakeholders.