The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has renewed measures to safeguard the country’s digital economy from cybercrime and strengthen trust among strategic stakeholders in the sector.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, made this known at the 2021 annual Cyber Security Conference held in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The conference which was in conjunction with the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA), brought strategic stakeholders together to brainstorm on Cybersecurity issues.
The theme of the conference was: ‘‘Building Trust in the Digital Economy through Cybersecurity, and Sensitisation on the Implementation of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021.’’
Professor Danbatta, who was represented by Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Mr Adeleke Adewolu, said that the Commission was keen on issues that would enhance, protect and boost Nigeria’s digital economy.
He stated that trust and confidentiality would promote a healthy digital environment, which was enshrined in global best practices to guarantee the privacy and integrity of digital data.
“NCC is in the forefront of ensuring sound cybersecurity culture that is built on people, process and technology.
“The launching of NCC sectoral CERT is a testament of our resolve to promote a healthy digital environment.
“Our various cybersecurity awareness initiatives and campaigns are helping the public understand the risks in digital space and how to reduce the vulnerability opportunities that adversaries can benefit from.
“Our collective resolve is to continuously boost trust and confidence in our digital economy by ensuring adherence to sound cybersecurity culture and hygiene, internally and with external partners as well as stakeholders.”
The NCC Boss advised that in order to improve digital trust and confidentiality, the digital economy should be built on trusted technologies and partnerships to ensure strong cybersecurity that rides on the public’s confidence, security, privacy and safety to bolster responsive regulations, transparency, accountability and digital governance.
Professor Danbatta noted that the pace at which technology advances, acceleration of innovations and enterprise in the digital space amplifies vulnerability opportunities, which malicious parties were quick to exploit, thereby slowing down the gains of the digital economy.
He emphasised that strong cybersecurity would have the advantage of reducing the surface of vulnerabilities in the digital economy that can be exploited.
Danbatta called on all cybersecurity stakeholders to key into the NCPS, 2021, to accelerate the adoption of its various components, adding that it is a collective responsibility as no single government, business or individual is immune or can do it alone.
“We call on all cybersecurity stakeholders to key into the NCPS, 2021, and accelerate the adoption of its various components. Cybersecurity is a collective responsibility as no single government, business or individual is immune or can do it alone,“ he added.
The Director of communications, office of the National Security Adviser,
Brigadier General Samad Akesode, who spoke on strengthening the country’s security, told the participants that the office was building stronger collaboration with major actors in the security sector to guide the digital economy and beyond.
Akesode said several workshops being organised were in line with the vision of the present administration to ensure that issue of security is taken more seriously at all levels, especially at the higher ground.
PIAK
