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Ifeanyi Jude Muonagor, the Head of Security Operations Centre at the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), said the bank’s deployment of cyber deception solution in 2017, has yielded positive results.
Muonagor, who spoke virtually at a one day event held in Lagos on the topic, ‘Importance of deception technology and identity security,’ said 80 per cent of system breaches have been linked to compromised credentials.
The event was organized by a Nigerian tech firm, InfoData Professional Services, in collaboration with Attivo Networks.
Muonagor said cyber-attack is so easy to conduct, making it hell for security personnel to deal with all the various incidents coming through with security protection mechanism that have not been full proof.
“But with deception solution, it helps the security professional to gain the knowledge of what the attacker was coming to do,” he said.
He added: “In 2017, we (CBN) identified the need for cyber deception technology and we moved with a particular solution. I will not mention names because I am not campaigning for any particular vendor. But we found out that there were fewer activities because of the deployment model.”
In his presentation, a Cyber Security Expert and Lead System Engineer at Attivo Networks, Osama Al-Shatnawi, said cyber-attacks do more damage than conventional warfare. “Everything can be done literally.
A single bank lost $70 million dollars through a cyber-attack. I can tell you about electricity companies. Just look at what happened to Ukraine.
Power was cut for the whole nation because of the cyber-attack. Any damage can happen due to cyber-attacks and that is why we need to take security seriously.”
Al-Shatnawi said based on different market analysis that have been done by different entities using Attivo with other solutions in place, their detection and protection capability has enhanced by 42 per cent.
Wayne Forsman, the Territory Manager at Attivo Networks, explained why cyber security breaches were on the increase.
“Conventionally, we set up a wall around our network, web security, email, next-generation firewalls. But effectively, by not protecting Active Directory (a Microsoft tool used to access networks and other applications), you’ve left the door open.”
He said 80 per cent of current attacks are through Active Directory, the reason why it must be protected. “In order to secure something, you really need to know about it. First, we have an Active Directory assessor which gives you full visibility into Active Directory.
“It will give you all the vulnerability and mitigation steps to effectively make Active Directory more secure. However, you also need to protect your information, the various profiles created for a user to have rights to a system – passwords, username.
“You need to protect that information. As for the current gaps, no solution is protecting the information on the Active Directory, which is the gap Attivo has closed.”
According to the President of Infodata Professional Services Global, Chuks Ulu Udensi; “Our commitment to delivering security solutions that are intuitive, intelligent and relevant to the realities of today’s business-critical infrastructure is further bolstered by our partnership with Attivo Networks”.
He said Solutions such as identity detection and response (IDR), IEV and others within the Attivo ThreatDefend®️ Platform gives users the ability to deploy decoy and deception technologies as well as an expanded portfolio of solutions that address the challenges of increased attack destructiveness for a globally distributed workforce as cloud-based solutions drive enterprise business productivity, profitability and efficiencies.
Mr. Ulu Udensi further reiterated Infodata’s commitment to the African Technology Landscape, noting: “We will continue to build, adopt and develop resources and solutions that ensure that our customer’s enterprise infrastructure is stable, secure, predictive and adaptive to the realities of today’s global constantly-evolving threat landscape.
InfoData Regional Solutions Manager, Eze Osiago, explained why the partnership with Attivo Solutions. “Attivo deceptive solution is one of its kind.
We have EDRs that do prevention but scenarios where the attacker is already inside, we currently do not have solutions that will detect the malicious insider or the attacker who is already inside.
“So, Attivo is that missing gap that comes in to say let’s do a scan around and spot anomalies to spot people who are misusing privileges,” he said.
Among the participants at the event were security professionals for various Nigerian financial institutions and other firms.
Michael Nnamdi, a systems security expert with Polaris bank said he gained so much about identity protection and Active Directory security.
“I will say that the idea by Attivo is really an interesting one. The idea of trying to protect these credentials, knowing that it is actually the gate to the kingdom,” he said.
Another participant, Kingsley Ozokwo from the information security department at Stanbic IBTC, said learning about how better to secure the Active Directory, is a very valuable experience.
“Active Directory is a major asset for any organization. The fact that there is a lot that can go wrong in that space is the reason we are here. I enjoyed the fact that this is moving us away from the traditional block and restrict, which is virtually what security is all about, to learn from the attackers themselves,” he said.
Accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could increase Africa’s GDP by up to 4% over the next decade, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In a report released on Tuesday, titled Africa Can Grow Faster With AI—If It Moves Now, economists from the IMF’s Africa Department say current levels of AI adoption and utilisation are expected to contribute just 0.2% to the region’s GDP over the next 10 years.
However, the report says stronger adoption, supported by the right infrastructure and policies, could raise the economic impact to about 4% by extending AI beyond today’s digitally connected firms.
Martin Schindler and other IMF economists say: “AI adoption in sub-Saharan Africa currently lags well behind every other region. If richer economies race ahead while African firms and governments lag, the productivity gap between the region and the rest of the world will only widen.”
Early signs of AI adoption are emerging across Africa, with countries including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria developing AI strategies.
Telecommunications operators, including Vodacom, Econet, Africell and MTN, are also integrating AI into their operations and networks.
Other examples include chatbots supporting teaching and learning in Nigeria and the South African Revenue Service’s use of data analytics for targeted tax audits.
However, the IMF says AI adoption must extend beyond these early use cases to deliver meaningful economic benefits.
“For the region, AI’s main promise is not about replacing office workers, but boosting productivity across the economy—helping informal firms manage inventory, enabling farmers to increase yields, and supporting mid-sized firms to transition to formality and export readiness,” the report reads.
The IMF is urging governments to prioritise investment in reliable electricity, affordable broadband, data infrastructure and digital skills to support wider AI adoption.
Many African countries, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, continue to face electricity shortages, while broadband services remain costly and coverage is uneven.
The Fund believes stronger investment in power, connectivity, regional data infrastructure and digital skills would help unlock AI’s economic potential.
National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system to strengthen legal identity management and improve demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja on Tuesday, Mr Afolabi Yori, federal commissioner representing Kogi, said the initiative became operational nationwide on July 1, through the VitalReg platform.
Yori described the development as a landmark in Nigeria’s civil registration system, noting that it would modernise birth and death registration through a technology-driven platform that meets international standards.
He said the digital platform would improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria was accurately documented and securely stored.
According to him, civil registration is more than an administrative process, as it provides reliable statistics that support public policy formulation, resource allocation and national development planning.
“Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of births and deaths remain unregistered.
“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner said that the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure prompt documentation of vital events through the VitalReg platform.
Yori said the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, and reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel.
He disclosed that the platform was being operated under a Public-Private Partnership with Barnks-forte Technologies Ltd. as the commission’s technical partner to ensure system availability, cybersecurity and continuous technological improvement.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support the initiative by encouraging the prompt registration of births and deaths.
Earlier, Samuel Omonakpeme, director in Kogi, NPC State, described the commencement of the digital registration system as another milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
Omonakpeme stated that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for all.
He appreciated the Federal Government, the leadership of the commission, UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
The state director also urged parents, guardians, health institutions, community leaders, religious organisations and the media to mobilise public support for the timely registration of all births and deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that ICT personnel of the commission, led by Ehimoni Kolawole, conducted a live demonstration of the digital birth registration process using the VitalReg platform.
The demonstration showed that the registration process captures the biodata of both parents, while at least one parent must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) to complete the registration of a newborn.
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has alerted its customers to a fraudulent message circulating on social media, falsely claiming that electricity consumers can receive an additional 20 per cent bonus units when recharging their prepaid meters through unofficial channels.
In a statement issued by the company’s management on Monday, YEDC described the claim as false and urged customers to disregard the misleading information, stressing that it did not originate from the company.
According to the statement, YEDC does not offer bonus electricity units through individuals, agents, personal bank accounts, phone numbers, or social media contacts.
The company advised customers to purchase electricity tokens only through approved cashless payment platforms, including the YEDC Pay App, OPay, Interswitch, and other authorised vending channels, or to visit the nearest YEDC office for assistance.
YEDC also cautioned customers against sharing their meter details or personal information, or making payments to unauthorised persons claiming to represent the company.
The company further urged customers to rely exclusively on information disseminated through its official communication channels to avoid falling victim to fraud.
The management thanked customers for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to serving them.
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