Cybercrime: Emergency Response Team will soon be established – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the
National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) will soon be
established, to curb cybercrime.

The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta made this
known during the 87th Edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament
(TCP) on Monday in Lagos.

The theme of the TCP is ”Challenges of Cybercrime: The Role of
the Telecoms Service Providers”.

Danbatta said that the provision of CERT was to ensure efficient
response to security incidents within the cyberspace.

He said that CERT was essential to monitor and deter threats
that could exploit information system vulnerabilities.

According to him, NCC must be in the forefront in ensuring that
telecommunications networks are secure enough to ensure Nigerians
who want to subscribe to the telecommunication services do so
without any fear of their security or privacy being violated.

”CERT is not a team of human beings. It is a team of computers
networked together, designed to checkmate incidences of
cybersecurity on the telecommunications network.

”The lab that is going to be doing this is already set up, the
equipment have been supplied, so what remains is just the
configuration.

”The intention is to ensure that telecommunications network is
secure, because in addition to all the benefits of the digital
revolution, the post-Industrial Revolution we so much talk about,
there is a risk dimension that results in the erosion of privacy
and security,” he said.

Danbatta said that there was the need for CERT, as the demand
for high-speed internet in Nigeria, Africa and across the globe by
telecommunications consumers was rapidly growing.

He said that in today’s digital economy, the internet, and by
extension broadband, was enabling people to carry out their
personal and official activities in a more efficient and effective
manner.

The EVC said that there were benefits and risks of the use of
cyberspace and both had to be properly managed.

He said that the telecommunications service providers operating
in Nigeria would be expected, more than ever before, to strengthen
their cyber-risk protection systems and architecture.

According to him, the time has come for organisations and
telecommunications service providers alike, to begin to use
next-generation authentication as against the hitherto
username-password authentication system.

”The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in a report,
says the latter is vulnerable to hacking and all forms of cyber
attacks.

”It is our belief that implementing these suggestions and more,
will help telecommunications service providers and other
Internet-dependent organisations in sustaining their activities in
an increasingly-connected world.

”The suggestions will help in containing the menace of
cybercrimes on their finances and reputation, on their employees
and customers.

”The Mobile Network Operators also need to educate their
consumers, regardless of their sizes and scopes of operations, and
equip them with tips they need to get protected while using the
internet on their networks,” he said.

The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Mrs Felicia
Onwuegbuchulam, said that the TCP provided high-level engagement
and interactions with consumers, service provider, the regulator
and other stakeholders in the telecommunications industry.

Onwuegbuchulam said that the programme has become a veritable
platform for addressing critical industry challenges affecting
consumers and other stakeholders in the telecommunications
value-chain in Nigeria.

She said that the day’s Telecom Consumer Parliament brought to
the front burner the problem of cybercrime, which was bedeviling
the industry at the moment.

According to her, it is common knowledge that access to
high-speed internet or broadband is getting more pervasive and
available to Nigerians to enable them achieve more efficiency in
their daily activities.

”However, there are individuals called cyber criminals, cyber
hackers or cyber fraudsters whose stock in trade is to deploy the
internet, using all manner of decoys, to defraud genuine and
unsuspecting internet users.

”The issue of cybercrime is a global phenomenon with levels of
pervasiveness differing from country to country, and from region to
region.

”It is also more pronounced in Nigeria, as it costs individuals
and organisations financial losses, among other dangers it poses to
victims.

”It is, therefore, our concern in NCC, to see that risks
associated with the usage of internet by Nigerians are addressed
and mitigated too,” she said. (NAN)