Cybersecurity: NCC tasks consumers on online safety

*Security is truly everyone’s business, bringing competence and knowledge to help in building a safer, more inclusive information society, says Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Emphasising the fact that security is truly everyone’s business in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged consumers to be cybersecurity-conscious in order to guarantee online safety.

Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCC, disclosed this in a statement by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs of the Commission Sunday, October 4, in Abuja, FCT.

The statement said Prof. Danbatta issued the caution during a ceremony heralding the beginning of a series of enlightenment and awareness campaign for the 2020 National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).

The NCC EVC stressed that “security is not reserved for a group of people, it is truly everyone’s business; bringing competence and knowledge to help build a safer and more inclusive information society.

“The month of October every year is NCSAM globally, aimed at raising awareness about cybersecurity, and to provide the public with general knowledge and tools required for online safety.”

He noted that Internet users across mobile networks in the country stood at 149.8 million as of August, 2020.

More users are expected online as services in different sectors of the economy are becoming digitalised, stated Danbatta.

According to the NCC Chief, the increase in digital financial transactions for e-commerce activities also called for a greater responsibility on the part of individuals and corporate Internet users to protect themselves against cybercrimes.

He added that as the NCC embarks on various policy initiatives to drive pervasive broadband penetration to achieve increased digital inclusiveness, it is not unmindful of those who use the Internet to carry out nefarious and dubious activities in the cyber space.

The Commission’s Chief Executive Officer further stated: “To keep the genuine individual and corporate Internet users safe, the NCC, as regulator of the telecom sector, annually joins the rest of the world to create a lot of enlightenment around cybercrime in the month of October every year.

“We ensure that consumers are empowered through awareness and sensitisation campaigns, by providing information on both the positive and negative potentials available online, and measures required to safeguard themselves and their loved ones.”

He as well restated the commitment of NCC to continually embarking on policy initiatives to enhance online security, educate and equip the consumers of telecom services with information they need for protection online.