Danbatta Seeks Improved Awareness on Cybersecurity

Danbatta Seeks Improved Awareness on Cybersecurity

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said the need to be cyber-security-conscious in order to guarantee online safety for internet users is everyone’s business and not reserved for a group of people.

Danbatta stated this to herald the commencement of a series of enlightenment and awareness campaign activities being embarked upon by the commission for this year’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).

In October every year, NCSAM celebrates online safety globally, aimed at raising awareness about cybersecurity, and to provide the public with general knowledge and tools required for online safety.

Danbatta who said the number of internet users across mobile networks in Nigeria currently stood at 149.8 million as at August, 2020, noted that more users were expected online as services in different sectors of the economy were becoming digitalised. He stated that the increase in digital financial transactions for e-commence activities called for greater responsibility on the part of individuals and corporate internet users to protect themselves against cybercrimes.

According to Danbatta, “as the commission embarks on various policy initiatives to drive pervasive broadband penetration to achieve increased digital inclusiveness, it is not unmindful of those who use internet to carry out nefarious and dubious activities in the cyber space to put an end to it.”

Danbatta further said: “To keep the genuine individual and corporate internet users safe, the NCC, as regulator of the telecom sector, annually joins the rest of the world to create a lot of enlightenment around cybercrime in the month of October every year. We ensure that consumers are empowered through awareness and sensitisation campaigns, by providing information on both the positive and negative potentials available online, and measures required to safeguard themselves and their loved ones.

“Security is not reserved for a group of people, it is truly everyone’s business; bringing competence and knowledge to help build a safer and more inclusive information society.”
Danbatta restated the commitment of NCC to continually embark on policy initiatives to enhance online security as well as educate and equip the consumers of telecoms services with information they need to be protected online.

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