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Experts Ring Fear as Cyber Thieves Exploit Security Lapses

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Andrew Azazi, National Security Adviser
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Experts in IT security have warned of a possible cyber racket insurgence in Nigeria, unless controls needed to protect sensitive data and critical infrastructure from abuse by insiders are firmly installed, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report. The independent Oracle users’ group survey, which first revealed that attackers exploited legitimate database access through SQL injection and stolen credentials, said laxity in the industry remains since the 2011 report. The Independent Oracle Users Group had more than 300 database and information security professionals recently surveyed on their data security practices with disturbing results. 60 per cent of respondents say data breach was most likely. Hamilton Iyoha, pre-sales consultant, Oracle Corporation, Nigeria, said over one billion records have been breached from database serves over the past six years. Iyoha said at a one-day ‘Data Security and Optimisation Summit’ hosted by Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), that the figure doubles every two years. He noted that ICT revolution in Nigeria would spur latent hullabaloo and cyber crime owing to porous nature of companies’ database in the country. Iyoha said hackers usually deploy SQL injection technique to attack databases through a website usually carried out by including portions of SQL statements in a web form entry field in an attempt to get the website to pass a newly formed rogue SQL command to the database. SQL injection is a code injection technique that exploits a-security vulnerability in a website’s software. The vulnerability happens when user input is either incorrectly filtered for string literal escape characters embedded in SQL statements or user input is not strongly typed and unexpectedly executed. Thus, unprotected site oftentimes dump the database contents to the attacker. Iyoha said: “With the fast growth in data generation, demand for data security will also increase in manifold. Actually, 48 per cent of data breaches are caused by insiders, 89 per cent records stolen using SQL injections. Hackers use stolen credentials; all this call for stringent security applications. “As it is now, existing IT security is not addressing database security, because only 20 per cent of companies that participated in the survey have a kind of forecast estimate,” he noted. Iyoha said CWG/Oracle partnership has provided the society with a preventive and detective control security solution that demands authentication, access control and auditing capable of blocking threats. “About 75 percent of organizations genuinely doing business encrypt their database traffic. Another 22 per cent encrypt only their database backup files; however, Oracle Advanced Security (OAS) was produced in such a way that it protects data from unauthorized users, particularly on enterprise solution base,” said Iyoha. Peter Boglo, the senior technology pre-sales consultant, Oracle, despite huge spends on IT security by Nigeria financial institutions, and operators in the oil and gas sector, tangible results are hard to come by because of inappropriate spend. “Nigerian companies, banks, IT firms, those in oil and gas spend more money on information security management and they have not gotten maximum result. So, the Oracle database 11g is an epoch-making event that spans the full range of customers need. Information security is a prerequisite for growth, confidence building and protection of stakeholders in the digital economy,” said Boglo. He notes that the “National Identity Management Scheme requires user provisioning, role management, entitlement management, and risk based access control virtual directive. Therefore, our database must be protected to avoid the impending cyber attacks.” Christy Elendu, manager, Oracle Channels Analyst representing the country manager, said that the company spent about $4.3 billion in 2011 on research and development aimed at producing best software to tackle global security threats. “Oracle has been there since 1971 which we started with proprietary system to open and standard systems and CWG has been a worthy partner. And we are committed to hardware engineering, new opportunities for partners, better solution for customers.


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OADC Lagos Reinforces Commitment to Local Data Hosting and Digital Transformation @ NDPC’s National Privacy Week Summit

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Open Access Data Centres (OADC) Lagos has reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria’s data protection and digital transformation agenda through its sponsorship and active participation in the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) National Privacy Week Summit.

The National Privacy Week Summit, organised by the NDPC, convened policymakers, regulators, technology providers, and industry stakeholders to promote data privacy awareness, strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), and advance conversations around data security, sovereignty, and responsible data governance.

As a sponsor of the event, OADC Lagos demonstrated its continued support for the Federal Government’s drive toward local data hosting and data domiciliation, which are increasingly critical to safeguarding sensitive information, enhancing regulatory compliance, and building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Through its carrier-neutral, Tier III Design certified data centre in Lekki, Lagos, OADC provides secure, resilient, and compliant infrastructure that enables government institutions and private sector organisations to host and manage data locally while meeting international best practices.

Commenting on the engagement, Adesola Adesugba, Country Marketing Manager, Open Access Data Centres Nigeria, said: “We are proud to have supported the Nigeria Data Protection Commission through the National Privacy Week Summit and to stand alongside the government in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation objectives.

“Strengthening local data hosting and domiciliation is fundamental to national data sovereignty, improved security, and sustainable digital growth, and OADC Lagos remains committed to enabling this future.”

OADC’s participation at National Privacy Week Summit underscores its role as a trusted digital infrastructure partner to government and enterprise, supporting secure cloud connectivity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term development of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Open Access Data Centres is part of the WIOCC Group and operates open-access, world-class data centres across Africa, serving cloud providers, network operators, enterprises, and public sector institutions.


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Kaspersky Launches OT Calculator to Align Cybersecurity Investments with Business Goals

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Kaspersky’s new online tool has been specially developed for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs associated with insufficient operational technology (OT) security.

By offering detailed financial forecasts, the calculator empowers senior management to make well-informed decisions regarding security investments.

Industrial organisations increasingly depend on interconnected systems, elevating cybersecurity to a critical factor in business resilience and profitability.

According to VDC Research, over 60% of industrial companies last year reported that cybersecurity breaches had led to significant costs. Despite this, a persistent disconnect remains between security teams and executive leadership as security professionals focus on minimising risk, while executives must balance cybersecurity concerns with broader business objectives. This misalignment often results in competing priorities and underfunded security initiatives.

To bridge this gap, Kaspersky has launched the OT Cybersecurity Savings Calculator, an innovative online tool designed specifically for industrial organisations to assess the potential costs of inadequate operational technology (OT) security¹.

The primary aim of this tool is to translate cyber risks into tangible financial metrics and support strategic discussions around priorities and budget allocation. By entering details such as their sector, sub-sector, region, company size, breach history, and existing cybersecurity measures, organisations can estimate their potential cost savings and receive customised, actionable recommendations.

The calculator benchmarks performance against industry peers and highlights the company’s position within the current threat landscape.

“We believe this calculator is a powerful resource for transforming complex cyber risk data into straightforward financial insights. It enables OT leaders, security professionals, and executive teams to develop clear, data-driven business cases and recognise the value of cybersecurity investments. With actionable guidance, it promotes a comprehensive approach to resource management and strengthens overall organisational resilience,” comments Andrey Strelkov, Head of Industrial Cybersecurity Product line at Kaspersky.


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Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

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National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has said Nigerian software developers have reached significant milestones with locally made applications generating over one million Dollar in sales across domestic and regional markets.

Local App Developers Rake $1m in Sales in 2025- NOTAP

Dr Obiageli Amadiobi, director-general of NOTAP, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday in Abuja.

Amadiobi said the development signified the growing strength of Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem and how local innovation powers digital growth.

She said it was also a direct outcome of targeted support initiatives led by NOTAP.

She added that the initiative helped to build capacity, protect intellectual property, and connect developers to market opportunities.

According to the NOTAP boss, the journey from concept to impact started with understanding and securing intellectual property (IP) rights, a step many local innovators missed.

“Whether it’s a literary work, a laboratory invention, or a creative digital product, the process of bringing an idea to life demands immense time, skill, and dedication.

“An innovator might wake up with a solution to a pressing problem; spend months testing and refining it and achieve remarkable results; so it is their fundamental right to patent that creation and claim ownership.

“Without this protection, someone else could easily replicate their work; patent it in their name; and legally control what was built with Nigerian brainpower,” she said.

Amadiobi said that the challenge was compounded by widespread digital piracy and counterfeiting, which hit the ICT sector hardest.

“From copied software applications to replicated content on social platforms like TikTok, unauthorised duplication has become a major barrier to growth.

“We see talented young creators develop unique digital content or tools, only to watch others rebrand and profit from their work within weeks,” she said.

The DG noted that most popular online personalities with distinctive styles often don’t realise they could protect their original contributions through IP registration.

She said that to address these gaps and unlock the value of Nigerian innovation, NOTAP implemented a multi-pronged strategy,- a cornerstone initiative – which is the Local Vendor Policy.

“The Local Vendor Policy mandates that foreign technology firms entering Nigeria partner with domestic counterparts,’’ she said.

Amadiobi said that among the performing apps are solutions addressing critical local challenges such as a mobile health platform that now serves 750,000 users across six states.

“There is also the agricultural marketplace connecting smallholder farmers to buyers; and an educational tool that has been adopted by 200 schools to improve learning outcomes,” she said.

She added that the apps were developed by teams that gained skills and resources through NOTAP’s Local Vendor Policy.

According to her, the policy requires foreign technology firms operating in Nigeria to allocate a portion of their technical service fees to local partners.

“Three years ago, many of these developers were only providing support services to foreign companies.

“But today, they are building their own products that compete globally. 60 per cent of last year’s sales came from other African countries, showing our developers can lead on the continent,” she said.

The D-G explained that the one million dollar figure represented sales from over 50 locally developed apps, with individual developers earning between 5,000 dollars and 80,000 dollars from their products.

“Looking ahead, NOTAP aims to double these sales figures by 2027, with plans to expand support to developers focusing on fintech, renewable energy management, and climate adaptation tools.

“These are the sectors identified as high-growth opportunities for Nigerian innovation,’’ Amadiobi said


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