“Hacktivists targeting our vital digital infrastructure”- NITDA

The public has been warned to be wary of some critical cyber attacks currently being targeted at Nigerian digital systems.

This is as the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, in an advisory issued by the Agency’s Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations, Mrs Hadiza Umar on Wednesday, said the cyber campaigns are politically and religiously motivated cyber campaigns.

NITDA through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team, stated that it detected hacking activities targeted at government’s digital services, adding that such cyber-attacks are not a distant threat.

It said, “The National Information Technology Development Agency, through its Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team has detected activities of a hacktivist group targeting our vital digital infrastructure.

“The hacktivist group, known for its politically and religiously motivated cyber campaigns, poses a significant risk to our critical information infrastructure. Their tactics include targeted attacks on government digital services, using various attack types particularly DDoS attack, and they have a track record of successful attacks in various countries.”

The agency also said, “this realisation compels us to recognise the urgency of reinforcing our cyber front, fortifying our digital defences to shield against these malicious intrusions and secure the safety of our critical information and infrastructure.”

NITDAs alert is coming in the wake of Nigeria’s critical economic crisis and the constant devaluation of the Naira in favour of dollar allegedly occassioned by the removal of petrol subsidy by the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Meanwhile, NITDA had in a recent development, revealed that it has plans of establishing a cyber security laboratory in 2024.

This was also revealed in a statement by the Agency’s Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, Mrs Hadiza Umar who stated that the establishment of a cyber security laboratory would be a significant increase to the strength and capabilities of the agency thereby strengthening Nigeria’s presence on the digital space.

In the same vein, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, in a recent meeting with the President, Chartered Institute of Forensic and Certified Fraud Investigator of Nigeria Dr Iliyasu Gashinbak and his team, said a collaboration between NITDA and the latter was necessary.

He explained that a collaboration as such would help to promote digital forensics, reinvigorate the tech ecosystem and mitigate cybercrimes in the digital space.

Inuwa decried the dangerous impact cybercrime had on the economy of the country, organisations, and individuals, and stressed the need to build capacity for protection against unscrupulous elements.

Though cybercrime can be said to be a phenomenon wherever people have access to the internet, in Nigeria, it is a major problem that requires close attention and decisive measures to deal with.

This is because some people exist on the internet primarily to cause nuisance through hate speech, unguarded conversations, promotion of fake news and several other indices including financial fraud that has become rampant and a “near-neccesity” for every youth in the country.

The quest to carryout certain tasks or achieve certain desires on the digital space leads some the desperados into attempting to breach data encryption codes.

NITDAs efforts to curb cybercrime cum attacks in the country ought to be complimented by conscious efforts on the part of ordinary Nigerians.

One significant way of helping to safeguard the country’s digital space is by being wary of preempted digital threats and seeking actionable means of avoiding them.