Business Post Contributor
By Ashemiriogwa Emmanuel
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has expressed worries over the serious threat posed by cybercrime and attacks on educational data of the country.
Speaking at the Multi-Stakeholders Sensitisation Workshop on the Implementation of Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Strategy 2021, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Mr Abubakar Rasheed, said that the commission was fully aware of the danger posed by the activities of cybercriminals.
Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary Administration, Mr Christopher Mayak, Mr Rasheed noted that the advent of cyber threats and attacks are issues that had continued to occupy the minds of the academia in the higher education space.
Citing the sector as a potential victim of the cyberattack, he commended the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for the initiative to convey the workshop.
In his contributions to the program held in Abuja, The Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Mr Ishaq Oloyede, urged the government to act fast in taming the menace of cyber attacks in the nation’s education sector.
The registrar stressed that there are many sensitive materials in the education sector that fraudsters were interested in, adding that it signals a significant vulnerability if proper action is not taken.
Adding that the sector can not afford to expose its data to malicious or opportunistic attackers, Mr Oloyede called on the academic sector to rise in liaison with the security agencies.
“The education sector is based on critical data and this critical data we cannot afford to expose them to malicious or opportunistic attackers,
“That is why we think it is time for all of us to realize the danger of not adequately protecting our cyberspace,” he said.
The stakeholders meeting is being held to sensitized relevant stakeholders towards the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2021, and to boost the potential of cyberspace to support national development.
According to the ONSA, the workshop will be held across seven sectors of the economy which include Telecommunications, Defence and Security, Education, Finance and capital market, energy, professional organizations, the private sector, and Judiciary.
The sensitization, which is aimed at curbing the menace of cybercrimes in the country, will run from September to December this year.
