Technology
ISSAN Seeks Collaborative Efforts to Check Rising Cyber Threats
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An urgent review of the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2015 has been called for by the Information Security Society of Africa, Nigeria (ISSAN).
According to the cybersecurity stakeholders, the review will make the law meet the current realities as it will capture the latest trends in the industry.
Speaking at the Quarter 1, 2022 ISSAN Cybersecurity Conference themed Payment Systems Platform Security in Lagos, the president of ISSAN, Dr David Isiavwe, said as the COVID-19 pandemic is gradually easing out, organisations are now settling for a hybrid way of working and providing services for customers while being mindful of the enlarged cyber threat.
He noted that new forms of attacks are being contrived and implemented by criminals through various means on individuals, nation-states and corporate bodies, stressing that cyber security gatekeepers are not spared as large sums of money are usually at risk in every successful attack.
“What we see on the horizon is that Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are becoming alarming; Ransomware attacks are not relenting. There are more phishing and password targeted attacks.
“Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks remain a growing problem. The loss globally is colossal. In Africa, Nigeria is expected to lead in terms of estimated loss due to our size. There is, therefore, the urgent need to brainstorm on how to keep payment systems platforms safer,” he said.
For a way forward, Dr Isiavwe, who is also a General Manager at Ecobank Nigeria, emphasised that banks and organisations need to be proactive, keep customers educated and updated on new threats and trends in cyberspace, automate and continuously monitor their systems and infrastructure, and also place a high premium on artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and data analytics.
In his keynote address, Director, Payment System Management Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Musa Jimoh commended the activities of ISSAN on enhancing a safer and secured payment ecosystem, stressing that the apex bank is committed to initiatives that would promote and enhance payment system security to check cyber fraud in the nation’s financial system.
He maintained that the financial sector cannot afford to fail as the payment system is vital to the functioning of any economic system.
According to him, “Data security is important for customers and a tool for financial inclusion. Banks are the custodian of customers’ information based on trust and should therefore put structures in place to prevent breaches and information theft. They should not compromise customers’ credentials as it would give cybercriminals access to defraud them.”
Mr Jimoh further stated that the entrance of Fintechs to the financial landscape has engendered stiffer competition, noting that “all responsible officers in charge of information security in organizations should keep track and always check and see the right things are done for the entities that are allowed to connect to their infrastructure.
“Banks should address infrastructure deficiencies, ensure operational resilience, introduce second or multi-factor authorisation, ensures banking payment infrastructure are formidable, address privacy violations, carry out end to end encryption to protect stored data, and also adhere to KYC provisions to avoid terrorism financing and money laundering.”
In her technical presentation, Managing Director, CreditRegistry Plc, Dr Jameela Ayedun, recommended a collaborative approach by banks, CBN, government agencies such as National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and others to enhance cyber security.
According to her, “Cyber security is the responsibility of all. The cybercriminals are still on a rampage therefore we must protect our payment systems and not give anything to chance.
“We must educate our consumers and should not be a silent victim. The payment service providers must have the basic requirements. The government also has a role to play in this regard. We should emphasise the privacy and integrity of our payment systems.”
Also, in his technical presentation titled: Anatomy of the New Fraudsters – A Nigeria Perspective, Head, Growth and Partnership – West Africa, BPC Technologies, Emmanuel Obinne, observed that cyber frauds transcend borders and boundaries. He gave a rundown of different types of frauds and maintained that relevant cyber laws should be put in place to check cyber criminality.
According to him, “Fraud management is a journey and not a destination. Proper laws should be in place to punish cybercriminals. Organizations should regularly upgrade their payment systems and security to avoid vulnerability. This will also fast track authorization and authentication of transactions. Second-factor authorization is also important to check fraud. The customers must constantly be educated to make them have more confidence in the payment system.”
Other panellists at the hybrid summit were Chairman, Association of Chief Audit Executives of Banks in Nigeria (ACAEBIN), Yinka Tiamiyu; Chief Information Security Officer, Heritage Bank, Ighoakpo Eduje, and Managing Partner, Technology Advisors LLP, Basil Udotai. The session was moderated by the Head, Internal Audit, FBN Holdings, Dr Bode Oguntoke.
Today, Salesforce published its AI Fluency Playbook, a practical guide for businesses to prepare their workforce to confidently collaborate with AI to give employees agents and drive business impact at speed and scale.
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AI agents are fundamentally redefining the workplace by automating repetitive, mundane tasks and augmenting the creative and strategic potential of every worker. However, simply deploying the technology is not enough; to truly transform daily operations and achieve superior business outcomes, employees must be equipped with the specific knowledge and tools required for seamless human-agent collaboration.
To bridge this gap, organizations can cultivate comprehensive AI fluency through a three-pillared approach: AI Engagement, which focuses on building employee sentiment and cultural confidence; AI Activation, which ensures consistent integration of AI into daily workflows; and AI Expertise, which develops the essential human and technical proficiencies needed to drive successful adoption at scale.
What customers are saying: “We’re focused on the most important skills that are needed for today and for the future,” said Ali Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pearson. “Today is all about learning agility – human skills like learning, adaptability, communication, and critical thinking are so important for the era of agentic AI.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have introduced new rules that will ensure faster refunds for failed airtime and data purchases, following rising consumer complaints over debits without value.
Under the new rules, refunds are expected to be completed within 30 seconds, except where a transaction remains pending, in which case the resolution can take up to 24 hours.
The new framework, contained in a statement issued by NCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Ms Nnenna Ukoha, on Thursday, targets unsuccessful transactions linked to network downtime, system failures and human errors that affect subscribers nationwide.
According to the statement, the guideline was developed after months of joint engagements involving telecom operators, banks, value-added service providers and other industry stakeholders.
The NCC said the framework brings the financial and telecommunications sectors up to speed on how failed transactions are handled and resolved.
“These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.
“The framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints.
“It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services,” she said.
Under the framework, Ms Ukoha said mobile network operators and banks are bound by a service level agreement that clearly defines their roles in transaction processing and refunds.
She emphasised that operators are also required to notify customers by SMS on the status of every airtime or data transaction.
The rules also address erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number.
On her part, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, said the framework also introduces a central monitoring system to improve oversight.
She said the dashboard will be jointly managed by the NCC and the CBN to track failed transactions, refunds and breaches of service timelines in real time.
“We are grateful to all stakeholders, particularly the CBN and its leadership, for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework,” she said.
The official said failed top-ups are among the top three complaints received by the commission, adding that implementation of the framework is expected to begin on March 1, subject to final approvals and completion of technical integration by all operators and banks.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian government is in advanced talks with Google for a new undersea cable to strengthen the country’s digital connectivity and resilience.
The country wants to augment existing undersea links with Europe, said the chief executive of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, as per Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Mr Inuwa said this was necessary at this time, calling Nigeria’s current reliance on cables that follow the same path “a single point of failure.”
Google earlier this year said it plans to expand its digital presence significantly in Africa with the development of four new strategic subsea cable connectivity hubs in the north, south, east, and west regions of the continent.
Already, Google is investing $2.1 million to accelerate Nigeria’s artificial intelligence (AI) growth, aiming to create one million digital jobs and bolster the country’s expanding technology economy.
This is aligned with Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, which is expected to play a meaningful role in the nation’s broader digital transformation. Projections indicate that AI could contribute up to $15 billion to Nigeria’s economy by 2030.
The fund will support partnerships with local organisations. To achieve these aims, the funding will support partnerships with local organisations working in digital skills development and cyber security.
The investment further signals global trust in Nigeria’s technology sector and underlines the nation’s role as a leader in Africa’s digital transformation. As new opportunities emerge, Google believes it support is set to help shape Nigeria’s economy and its place on the global technology stage.
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