E-Business
Deloitte: Nigerian Cyber Security Outlook 2015
Our 2014 cyber security outlook was an eye-opener into the Nigerian cyberspace as all the predictions made were accurate.
2015 must therefore not be underestimated as the seeming deduction is that the hackers are always one step ahead; this is a gap that must be bridged
31,536,000; the number of seconds that made up the year 2014. Around the world, each second was used effectively by hackers in planning attacks and exploiting vulnerable people, systems and processes.
Brazen attacks unlike anything we have ever witnessed before were carried out and from all indications, 2015 is likely to be another roller coaster ride.
From the reported hack on the US retail giant (Target), to the Sony pictures entertainment security breach, there is a growing trend in terms of bravado on the part of hackers.
In 2014, the National Assembly of Nigeria made a bold move in the war against cybercrime when the Senate passed the Cybercrime Bill.
This feat in addition to the cyber security strategy and policy documents introduced by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) are attributes that define 2014 as the year of the awakening.
With each cyber-attack, companies lose millions, trust by consumers get eroded and a trove of confidential information are published.
In 2015, we are expecting newspaper front-page headlines to include issues around cyber security incidents.
The year will witness an increase in cyber security issues that may likely reduce towards the last quarter.
However, the reduction will only be based on a successful implementation of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and electronic ID by the National Identity Management Committee (NIMC).
Our 2014 cyber security outlook was an eye-opener into the Nigerian cyberspace as all the predictions made were accurate.
2015 must therefore not be underestimated as the seeming deduction is that the hackers are always one step ahead; this is a gap that must be bridged.
Based on current events in both social and economic realms in Nigeria, we have reviewed below some of the cyber security trends and threats that are likely to be significant in 2015.
Phishing And Insider Threats will continue to be biggest cyber threat sources in Nigeria especially as crude oil prices continue to fall:
Phishing is a form of social engineering that attempts to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and ATM card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
Phishing is a continual threat that keeps growing to this day. The risk grows even larger in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc.
An Insider threat is a malicious threat to an organization that comes from people within the organization, such as employees, former employees, contractors or business associates, who have insider information concerning the organization’s security practices, data and computer systems.
As companies take austerity measures such as downsizing and salary slashing due to the falling crude oil prices and the devaluation of the naira, there is a higher risk that employees, former employees or contractors result to cybercrime as a means to maintain their standard of living.
We are likely going to see an unprecedented rise in attacks from disgruntled employees.
The cybercrime of choice by majority of the Nigerian cyber criminals would be via social engineering.
Intelligently crafted phishing emails and phone calls to naïve customers will increase.
Socially And Politically Motivated Cyber-Attacks:
With the coming elections in 2015, there may be an increase in the cyber-attack of the websites and information technology (IT) infrastructure of political organisations and public institutions possibly as a means of expressing grievances.
Nigeria witnessed a similar occurrence during the socio-political protest movement of January 2012 in response to the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.
These attacks could be in form of denial of service attacks and website defacements.
Also, there is the potential for increased numbers in local hacker groups to further their agenda by compromising or attacking Government-owned infrastructure.
As such, this is a call to all stakeholders concerned to put the necessary security measures in their cyber infrastructure.
Prosecution Of Cyber Related Crimes Is Likely To Experience A Major Boost:
With the passage of the cybercrime bill by the Senate, organisations will now have legal basis for prosecuting cybercrime once it is signed into law.
Organizations can put measures in place to track down cyber criminals.
We are likely to see more collaboration between organizations in tackling cybercrime as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) drives the Nigerian e-Fraud Forum (NeFF) – where banks meet to share experiences on fraud and mitigating factors.
The sharing of cyber security intelligence in the financial sector is expected to grow in 2015 and would serve as a model for other areas of the economy.
From the just concluded annual Deloitte Chief Information Security Officer roundtable event in December 2014, there was a recurring theme of cyber security intelligence sharing as a win-win way to tackle cybercrime and be steps ahead of the hacker.
This will also boost efforts in tracking and prosecuting cyber criminals.
Outsourcing Of Information Security Function:
With the shortage of security specialist skills in many companies, the ever-changing threat landscape and the need for 24/7 monitoring and response on certain technological platform especially in Financial Institutions and telecom companies, organizations will need to continually invest more in implementing additional security infrastructure, security training for their personnel and active recruitment for currently skilled professionals.
And with prudency in budgeting for organizations, more companies will consider outsourcing their information security function as a more viable option.
Increased Compliance Costs In Non-Financial Sectors:
In 2015, we are likely to see new sets of compliance regulations for industries with connection to the financial sector.
Though the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has regulated the financial services industry with a variety of compliance rules in 2014, we are likely to see talks or nascent development stages of information security compliance standards for other areas of the economy.
There will be an increase in the cost of compliance as regulators may require organizations to comply with new regulations, with repercussions for defaulting.
Also with the adoption of the COBIT5 framework by Nigeria, other sectors will soon need to have security policies that align with leading frameworks and standards.
Senior Level Executives Will Be Held More Accountable And Possibly Fired For Security Breaches:
We are likely to see executive dismissals as a direct result of security breaches.
Senior level executives will be held more accountable and possibly fired for security breaches if adequate measures are not in place.
More so, if the brand of an organization suffers to recover in time as a result of a security breach, Chief Information Security Officers and Chief Information Officers will come under serious ‘fire’ from the board and top executives as they struggle to cope with incessant attacks on their networks.
According to a report by Gartner, “through 2016, 75% of CISO’s who experience publicly disclosed security breaches and lack documented, tested response plans will be fired.”
The unending battle in cyberspace calls for a more proactive, predictive and robust system that can match tools and techniques used by cyber criminals.
Organizations need to ensure they increase vigilance of their assets, learn from previous mistakes and deploy appropriate countermeasures in order to survive in 2015.
I wish you a cyber-secure New Year.
Tope is the Head, Cyber Risk Services at Deloitte Nigeria. He currently leads the largest team of information security consultants in Nigeria. Tope has significant security consulting, project management and auditing experience and has served several organizations in Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, South Africa, Cameroon and UK. He has experience performing IT advisory and assurance services to 85% of the commercial banks in Nigeria and over 30% of the companies quoted on The Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has directed all Data Controllers and Data Processors of Major Importance (DCPMIs), yet to register with the commission to do so immediately.
This followed a Federal High Court judgment affirming NDPC statutory powers to designate and register such entities.
DCPMIs are entities operating in Nigeria that handle sensitive personal data or large volumes of information, requiring mandatory registration with the NDPC under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Babatunde Bamigboye, head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, described the judgment as a major milestone for data accountability and regulatory oversight in Nigeria.
The commission said the ruling arose from a suit filed by Emmanuel Harunna against the NDPC in Emmanuel Harunna v. NDPC (FHC/L/CS/1116/2024), in which the applicant sought a declaration that Point of Sale agents were not Data Controllers or Processors of Major Importance under the Nigeria Data Protection Act and requested a perpetual injunction restraining the commission from registering them.
According to the statement, Justice F.N. Ogazi examined the commission’s Guidance Notice on Registration alongside Sections 5(d), 6(c), 44, 45 and 65 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act before concluding that the commission acted within its statutory powers in designating entities under the Major Data Processing – Ordinary High Level category as Data Controllers and Processors of Major Importance.
Quoting the judgment, the statement read, “The Nigeria Data Protection Act was enacted to promote accountability, transparency and responsible data governance. Registration enables the Respondent to identify entities engaged in significant data processing activities, monitor compliance.”
It added that the court held that, “Far from undermining the constitutional right to privacy, the registration framework is one of the statutory mechanisms designed to safeguard that very right by subjecting data controllers and data processors to effective regulatory oversight.”
The statement further quoted the court as saying, “Looking at the recitals of the Guidance Notice, there is every indication that the Guidance Notice is also aimed at protecting the privacy and security of data subjects, thus bringing the registration requirement of the Guidance Notice within the protective shield of Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution.”
According to the commission, the court also held that, “Remarkably, Section 63 of the Data Protection Act provides that the provisions of the Act shall prevail over any other law inconsistent with its provisions on matters relating to the processing of personal data.”
Reacting to the judgment, the commission described the decision as a significant boost to Nigeria’s data protection regime.
“The Commission appreciates the ground-breaking efforts of the court towards the advancement of the jurisprudence relating to data accountability in Nigeria, as eloquently demonstrated in this case,” the statement read.
Following the ruling, Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer, had directed every Data Controller and Processor of Major Importance that had yet to comply with the registration requirement to register without delay.
The commission warned that entities failing to comply with the registration requirement could face legal consequences.
“Failure to register creates serious legal liabilities under the law, while compliance with registration requirements builds public trust and safeguards the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects in Nigeria,” the statement added.
The University of Nigeria (UNN) is set to partner with The Roxettes Group to establish a research and innovation centre focused on artificial intelligence (AI), smart and green mobility, and digital technologies, in a move aimed at strengthening research, entrepreneurship and technology-driven industrial development.
Chairman of The Roxettes Group, Arc. Dr. Kaycee Orji-Kelechi, announced the proposed partnership while delivering his acceptance speech after receiving an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa) during the university’s convocation ceremony.
The proposed facility, to be known as the Dr. Kaycee Orji Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Smart/Green Mobility and Digital Innovation, is expected to provide a platform for research, innovation and collaboration between academia and industry, with a focus on developing commercially viable solutions to local and continental challenges.
Orji-Kelechi said the initiative was conceived as a long-term investment in human capital and technological advancement rather than simply another physical infrastructure project.
He said the vision was to position the University of Nigeria among Africa’s leading institutions in artificial intelligence, smart mobility and digital innovation through research, entrepreneurship and technology development.
According to him, the centre will house five specialised laboratories covering artificial intelligence and machine learning, smart and green mobility, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT), digital finance and financial technology, as well as cloud computing and advanced data centre technologies.
He also announced plans for the proposed Kaycee Orji Founders Innovation Challenge, an annual programme intended to identify, mentor and support innovative ideas from students, researchers and academic staff with the potential to become scalable businesses.
“Every student of this University should know that a great idea conceived in a classroom should have a pathway to becoming a patent, a startup, a global enterprise, and a solution that transforms society,” he said.
Orji-Kelechi disclosed that preliminary conceptual work on the project had commenced, with architectural and engineering designs being prepared by K.KH Contractors Ltd., a subsidiary of The Roxettes Group.
He added that discussions with the university would begin on identifying a suitable site for the project, while a comprehensive proposal containing architectural drawings, engineering designs and an implementation framework would be submitted after completion of the design phase.
Reflecting on his career, Orji-Kelechi said Africa must move beyond consuming innovation to creating it through investment in manufacturing, technology and entrepreneurship.
“We have pursued one simple vision: that Nigeria and Africa must move from consumption to production; from importing innovation to creating it; and from waiting for opportunities to building them,” he said.
He urged graduating students to see their education as a foundation for solving societal challenges through innovation, leadership and enterprise, adding that he remained committed to promoting industrial development, youth empowerment and sustainable economic growth.
The proposed collaboration forms part of broader efforts to strengthen university-industry partnerships, which are increasingly seen as critical to improving research commercialisation, innovation capacity and technology-led economic development in Nigeria.
National Population Commission (NPC) has announced commencement of full digital registration of births and deaths through the VitalReg platform, which became operational nationwide on July 1, 2026.
Chidi Ezeoke, federal commissioner representing Anambra, disclosed this in Awka during a press conference to announce commencement of full digital birth and death registration under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system and the marking of World Population Day commemorated every July 11.
He revealed that a total of 131 registration centres had been opened in the 21 local government headquarters and several communities in the state, adding that more centres would be opened later.
Ezeoke described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, to ensure every birth and death in the country was captured through a digitally enabled registration platform.
“It builds on the launch of the E-CRVS system and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics by President Bola Tinubu on Nov. 8, 2023.
“A total of 4,011 functional registration centres has been established across the 774 LGAs of the federation and the commission iswas working to expand the number to about 8,000.
“In Anambra, 131 registration centres have been opened in the 21 local government headquarters and several communities. More centres had been proposed for the state,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the VitalReg platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork and waiting time, improved data validation and a more secure national CRVS database.
While noting that the platform would serve as a foundational database to support other national data systems and strengthen interoperability across Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, Ezeoke urged Nigerians and other stakeholders to support the initiative by ensuring prompt registration of all births and deaths.
Speaking on the 2026 World Population Day themed, “Realising the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People – Today and for the Future”, the Commissioner called for greater investment in education, healthcare, skills development, decent employment opportunities and youth participation in governance for sustainable national development.
Earlier, Mr Obiakonwa Okagwu, state director, NPC, said the occasion served as a reminder of great opportunities provided to harness young people’s capabilities, which he said would shape the future of the country when adequately harnessed.
He called on residents to take registration of births and deaths as national responsibility, just as he urged the media to take the message on civil registration to all parts of the State.
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