Cybersecurity Body Seeks Media Partnership, Offers Training In Cyberhygiene

In furtherance of its campaign against cyberfraud and establishment of cybersecurity consciousness among Nigerians, Cybersafe Foundation has extended a hand of fellowship to ICT journalists.

The partnership, according to the Foundation, is to ensure that Nigerians understand the increasing cyberrisk which is a factor of digital and online activities that have increased drastically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking at a parley in Lagos, Executive Director of Cybersafe Foundation, Confidence Staveley called for a more proactive role by the media in the campaign to sensitise the public on cybersecurity issues and how to maintain what she called a good cyberhygiene .

“Your (the media) importance in shaping society cannot be over emphasized, we acknowledge this huge role you play and that is why a meeting with you is the first activity on our agenda. Simply put, we need you. We need you to come with us on this journey and work closely with us in fighting the monster called Cyberfraud. Just like you helped the Health sector fight ebola and you are currently helping with fighting misinformation around COVID, we need you to work passionately with us to fight this problem that is threatening digital innovation around financial services,” Staveley said.

According to the Foundation, the partnership will see it and the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of the Nigeria Financial Industry (CCISONFI) offer training to ICT journalists under the aegis of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) and provide working tools that will aid them engage better.

The Chairman, Advisory Board of Cybersafe Foundation, Peter Obadare, noted that launching out a campaign of such magnitude and importance without media partnership may not generate the desired effect and objective.

He said the partnership will help the journalists understand better the intricacies of cybersecurity so as to report it better.

Also speaking on the need to engage the media, CCISONFI Chairman, Abumere Igboa noted that the increasing cases of cyberfraud have made it most necessary.

“As Chief Information Security Officers, we have also witnessed an increased adoption of digital/technology platforms post the Covid-19 pandemic crisis by our different financial institutions for delivering innovative financial solutions, expanding its operations, and being able to reach both existing and potential customers.

This Increased use of digital platforms has greatly transformed the cyber & technology landscape thereby coming with its own risk, especially with sustaining trust and confidence in customers’ ability to communicate, and transact securely within the financial ecosystem. A loss of such trust and confidence could undermine the benefits of CBN’s cashless economy or the ability to continually leverage technology as an enabler of social and economic development. Hence there is a constant need to address the related challenges of ensuring continuous cybersecurity and data privacy.”

Concluding, CCISONFI Chairman said: “We look forward to a rewarding partnership and successful achievement of our target objectives which include reaching more than 40million customers in the first two years of its launch and finally delivering awareness contents and messages in major Nigerian languages including pidgin English.”

The Chairman of NITRA, Chike Onwuegbuchi, in his comment applauded Cybersafe Foundation and CCISONFI for the gesture, noting that the training and accompanying tool will enable the journalists disseminate their information from a knowledge point of view. According to him, the partnership will make a great impact in the fight against cyberfraud and cybercriminals.

CCISONFI is a committee formed under the guidance of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and made up of the Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Deposit Money Banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs). CCISONFI became necessary due to the need to have an industry body supporting the CBN in providing guidance and advisory services related to Cyber, Data and Information Security across the Nigerian Financial and Payment ecosystem as the cyber threat landscape continued to evolve.

CyberSafe Foundation is Nigeria’s foremost non-Governmental organization in the information security domain, on a mission to facilitate pockets of changes human capacity and behavioural changes that ensure inclusive and safe digital access in Nigeria. The Foundation’s Flagship initiative #NoGoFallMaga, also adopted as the name for this cross-financial industry cyber awareness campaign, is a national movement of young people, working to combat preventable digital fraud with consumer-centred sensitization and education.