Expert Seeks Regulatory Framework To Combat Cyber Crime

TO combat the growing threat to technological development in Nigeria, an expert has canvassed an urgent development of national regulatory framework to secure the country’s cyber space. This is to protect the economy against cyber crime.

At a workshop organised by Digital Jewels in partnership with SANS Institute Africa in Lagos last week, Director of SANS Institute for Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Mr. Craig Rosewarne, said the increase in cyber criminal activities coupled with ineffective legislation and law enforcement pose challenge to security of global computer infrastructure.

Using South Africa as a case study, Rosewarne, in his presentation entitled Combating Cyber Threats: An African Perspective, suggested the formation of a regulatory body to oversee the industry as part of measures to ensure quality and consistency in security practice and competencies of professionals working in the industry.

The South African-based information security expert noted that the growing security threats to the cyber space include information leakage, identity theft, social media attacks, corporate espionage, malware infections, phishing attacks, Insider fraud, botnet infections and state sponsored attacks. Others are organised crime, child pornography and advanced persistent threat among other threats to the cyber space.

He also recommended the establishment of a national cyber security training academy to help address the growing need for information security professionals at the national level. “Investment in cyber security to prevent far greater losses in the near future, outweighs the cost of such investment,” Rosawarne said.

In response to his submission, participants acknowledged that major challenges facing Nigeria’s cyber space are similar to what obtained in South Africa, hence it was agreed that concerted efforts by professionals in the Information and technology industry are very critical in the battle against cyber crime and internet insecurity in the country.

It was noted that conscious effort must be made by stakeholders on research-based information for ease of prosecution where cyber crime is established; and such data bases which could be useful to establish the existence of cyber crime in the country should be generously shared by practitioners in the information technology industry.

Digital Jewels has been passionate about information security in the country and has facilitated the attainment of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) accreditation for many organisations; and remains the first indigenous consulting firm in Africa to achieve ISO 27001. In its commitment to the advancement of information technology, the firm organises a quarterly information value chain (IVC) forum, a gathering of ICT professionals, which holds every second Wednesday of the last month in a quarter. It provides a platform for knowledge sharing, information exchange and networking for executives as they climb the corporate ladder.

This interactive Forum helps executives to keep abreast of pertinent trends on increasingly important issues, which can affect their individual and corporate competitiveness.

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