Stakeholders Brainstorm on National Digital Security Emergency

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Stakeholders in the Security space recently met at an ICT Stakeholders Summit on National Digital Security Emergency to brainstorm on the need for the ICT industry to respond to the present national security emergency faced by the country.
The Summit put together by the Teledom Group and Gamnet Solutions Limited, its event management partner had in attendance security personnel from the different security agencies in Nigeria.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, GMD/CEO, Teledom Group in his welcome address said the event was as a result of the firm knowledge of the power of ICT to leverage national security operations. 
He said the ICT industry can help establish criminal databases with exciting agency-specific graphical user interfaces for use by law enforcement agencies.
“With ICT the law enforcement agencies can locate criminal callers within the cellular networks. We have to enact appropriate laws for our national cyber-security as well as protect our critical national information infrastructure,” adding that “a safe and secure society is a good business environment.”
Ekuwem emphasized that SIM card registration must be executed much more aggressively.
“Every telephone number (mobile or fixed) in use in our country must be uniquely identified as belonging to a uniquely identified person in Nigeria. Let the operators register and keep the resultant databases of their subscribers. Let what obtains in the banking industry apply to our ICT industry,” he said.
Chris Uwaje (FNCS), chairman, Connect Technologies Limited and president, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) in his presentation on Critical Software Issues & Imperatives for National Security & Survivability said, Cyber Security issues continues to challenge government operations for building a highly secured information Network for its operations which demand fast, reliable, and secure collaboration capabilities throughout the enterprise, from the data center and the desktop to geospatial applications involving multiple partners and huge amounts of data.
He said it has therefore become a strategic imperative for government to establish a National Network Security Policy and Standards to control and protect the Nation’s electronic environment and in particular, its entire operation – within the context of critical information infrastructure –where Software represents the centre of gravity.
Uwaje recommended that “our national software environment and critical solutions must be designed, deployed, managed and controlled by indigenous policy and workforce.”
The ICT Oracle opined that the National Cybersecurity agenda must be given a topmost priority and funding preference in our national budget, adding that “the ICT sector must be adequately protected by enabling policies, laws and sustainable strategies”.