Stakeholders in the war against cybercrimes have called for the establishment of Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) in the country to assist in the fight against cyber-attacks.
Computer Emergency Response Team is an expert group that handles computer security incidents including: studying internet security vulnerabilities; researching long term changes in networked systems; as well as developing information and training to help governments, citizens and businesses to improve security.
Security experts are afraid that any cyber attack on Nigeria’s critical infrastructure will shut down the country because she lacks any form of protection.
Obadare Adewale, chief operating officer, Digital Encode, an information security management and assurance services provider, said that a CERT will help Nigeria to proactively detect, respond as well as serve as her information exchange platform on emerging cyber threats to the country cyberspace and enhance cyber resilience.
Adewale, decried the absence of a cyber security law or an established legal frame work in Nigeria and urged the federal government to quickly set up a framework to prosecute cyber criminals within Nigerian jurisdiction.
Tobechi Ndubuaku, chief operating officer, Tobeit Consulting, organizers of annual Hackcess conference, agreeing with Adewale drew a distinction between functions of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and CERT.
He said that CERT aside from the protection of national critical infrastructure also test vulnerability of networks of organisations such as banks by hacking into their network and steal vital information and turnaround to return it to such organizations to proof to them how vulnerable their network is and advise them to effectively protect it against cybercriminals.
“EFCC responsibilities centre on prosecution and fight against financial crimes including those committed through the cyber space,” he stated.
He applauded the passage of national cybercrime bill 2014, noting that when it is signed into law it will empower EFCC to effectively prosecute cybercrime in the country.
Chris Uwaje, former president, Institute Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) and advocate of cyber security had warned that cyber terrorism is real and must be taken serious.
Uwaje called for the setting up of “ethical hackers” to protect networks by hacking and stealing vital information and later returning them to show their vulnerability.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that cyber attacks are expected to increase in the coming year as cyber criminals target other people’s money and cyber terrorists seek to bring down countries.