Addressing Surge in Cyber Threats

Cybersecurity experts blame economic hardship for the recent forecast of a rise in cyber threats in Nigeria in 2024, writes Ayodeji Ake

The Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), an association which is the umbrella body of all cyber security professionals in Nigeria, in a recent report forecasted a rise in insider threat in Nigeria by the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The association’s report for 2024 partly read: “In anticipating the road ahead, the CSEAN National Cyber Threat Forecasts 2024 points to a continued surge in mis/ disinformation, ransomware attacks, attacks against vulnerable government’s online assets, crypto scams, benefit and employment scams, information and credential theft, AI-enabled threats, impersonation scams, insider threats, cyber hacktivism, and web defacement. “Amid these economic hardships, cybercrime has become an increasingly attractive option, offering substantial illegal earnings. Businesses and organisations must adopt various measures to combat this growing threat.

“These include increasing employee pay to better align with the cost of living, offering financial incentives for loyalty, conducting ethics training emphasizing cyber security responsibilities, monitoring employee behaviour, and implementing robust cyber security protocols like multifactor authentication. “In light of the events of 2023, where Nigeria witnessed the disruptive force of cyber hacktivism following the coup d’état in Niger, it is highly likely that 2024 will see an increase in similar activities. “Nigeria must adopt a multi-faceted approach.

Strengthening cyber security infrastructure is paramount. “This involves investing in advanced security technologies and enhancing the capability of cyber security personnel.” In a bid to tackle the rising threats, the association revealed its collaboration with law enforcement Reacting to the prediction, an Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence expert, Mr. Daniel Akinyemi, who is the founder of Pepework International Nigeria, argued that the major cause of the increase of cyber threats could be traced to economic hardship biting hard in Nigeria.

He lamented that cyber threats have been a major component of snail development technology-wise and need to be quickly regulated. He described cybersecurity threats, “as acts performed by individuals with harmful intent, whose goal is to steal data, damage, and disrupt computing systems. Because of the economic hardship, a lot of people have resulted in attacking websites and individuals. “A lot of scam projects are going on daily online. Unfortunately, even the genuine websites are being duplicated and they use it to perpetuate evil, scamming people of their hard-earned money. “It’s a serious issue everyone needs to pay attention to, especially in this cash-crunch economy where people are going through a lot. “Cyber threat is on the rampart. Truly, the global economy is not nice at this time but the Nigeria economy is tougher right now. Some frustrated or depressed Nigerians have resorted to cyber threats as a means of survival. Not everyone has the guts to be bandits or kidnappers, but they could start cloning websites to scam unsuspecting individuals.” He revealed rise in cyber threats on social media platforms through links from unknown sources used by perpetrators to hack into phones.

“I receive a lot of cyber threats daily on social media. I have been sent links as Short Message Service (SMS) and email. And once the link is clicked, it exposes your data. We need to be mindful of links from an unknown source. A lot of WhatsApp has been hijacked because of link clicks and its rampart,” he said. Discussing ways cyber threats could be reduced and controlled, Akinyemi mentioned two major ways – through the government and individuals. He insisted that hardship inflicted on the people has left many with no option than venturing into cyber threats as a source of livelihood and until the hardship is addressed by the government, there is no way forward.

“The issue of cyber threat is a very important one that needs special attention, and solutions can be created in two forms. As a blockchain developer, I will tell you for free that we suffer cyber threats, and millions of dollars are lost to cyber threats. “As earlier mentioned, the main cause of economic cyber threats is economic hardship, especially in Nigeria where the price of food is rising at almost the percentage at which the cost of living is rising, which means the government has a pivotal role to play. “The government needs to look inward on how they can create more opportunities for Nigerians. In some countries, there is a program called the ‘Universal Basic Income’.

When some people lose their jobs, the government gives them some amount of money to keep them mentally and physically balanced until they can get another job. Giving succour by the government will help to militate against cyber threats. “It’s applaudable that the federal government is trying to give about N25,000 monthly for the past few months to 15 million households of about five members. That is a calculation of about 25 million people. The government also says that, if the plan succeeds, they are planning to sustain it is a good move. “But outside the distribution

consider the power supply and other opportunities. The power supply in Nigeria at the moment is not epileptic but paralytic which is frustrating a lot of business. Putting basic amenities in place is very important.” he urged. Speaking further, he advised that Nigerians needed to be adamant about unusual links and conscious of the websites they explore. Lending his voice to the malicious use of AI according to the CSEAN forecast report, Akinyemi noted that AI has been a helpful and developmental technology, which is not the problem, blaming the users for the wrong use of the technology to perpetrate cybersecurity threats. “What the government can do is to come up with policies and regulations the same way the government is trying to maintain law and order within the country is the same they should on all technologies,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through its official website has given banking and email safety tips. “Internet banking safety tips include: Never log on to your Internet or Mobile Banking using public WI-FI, your data can easily be stolen by malicious persons using the WI-FI Access; never open your internet banking by clicking a link, rather type in the banks URL manually to avoid being taken to a clone site where your data can easily be stolen; always two-factor authentication password for sensitive data such as your internet banking- This will give you an added layer of security for your data, and always have your internet/mobile baking Apps up to date as required.

“Email safety tips include: Do not open emails from unknown sources. Also, if an email looks suspicious it usually does not open; always look out for grammatical typos in the email, this is usually a sign that the email is fake; be careful when u download- Do not open or download attachments from someone you do not know, even if the sender is familiar. “This might contain a virus or malware that will infect your device once opened; use Spam filters on your emails, this helps to keep spam emails away from your main inbox; and always report any suspicious activities on your email to your organisation’s IT department, they will advise you accordingly.

“Tips on how to protect data include Backup data; this helps with retrieving back data when your device is stolen, lost, or compromised; encrypt confidential information; create strong passwords and make it a habit to change them often; install Antivirus and Anti-malware protection – this places a security layer for devices; always have your device software up to date; turn off your Bluetooth when not in use, as it can be used by attackers for malicious activities; set up privacy settings on all devices and social media,” the NCC stated.