The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has signalled that cybercrime and e-fraud are some of the major challenges facing telecommunication users in Nigeria, reports Vanguard.
NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta says just that at the ongoing Enugu International Trade Fair. Furthermore, Director in the Commission Reuben Mmuoka says that the NCC recently hosted a cybersecurity enlightenment conference where telecoms stakeholders were exposed to the dangers associated with cybercrimes.
Mmuoka advises telecom consumers not to open unknown emails or post their PINs for any sort of platform online as a bank would never ask them for their personal details via the internet or over the phone.
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Danbatta also disclosed that the commission is educating parents on their roles regarding child online protection, stating “sensitisation programmes are targeted at parents, aimed at equipping them with the right knowledge they need to limit the exposure of their children to the negative aspects of Internet use.”
The commission created a feature known as ‘Do Not Disturb’ (DND), which directed “all mobile network operators to dedicate a shortcode to enable subscribers to make informed but independent decisions on what messages they wish to receive.”
“NCC identifies the consumer as a very important stakeholder in the telecoms industry, which is evident in our 8-point agenda where empowerment and protection are properly captured,” added Danbatta.
The Vice-Chairman would go on to say that the NCC Special Day is aimed at educating and informing subscribers on uses of communication services, as well as their rights as telecom consumers. He points out that the NCC, working as a regulator, is coming up with initiatives to enable consumers to send complaints when dissatisfied with service providers.
“The Commission will apply appropriate regulatory measures and sanctions against such service provider,” he says.
Cybercrime and Africa
A 2019 survey of many African countries showed that Africans are very vulnerable to cybercrime because they are not aware of what they do not know, and that Africans mistakenly think they are prepared and knowledgeable about malware and security issues when in reality they could be better prepared.
“It’s a worrying trend – many phishing scams will use any means necessary to tease out valuable nuggets of personal information and phone calls or emails from so-called ‘trusted sources’ are among the most common methods used,” says KnowBe4, the company that funded and ran the survey.
The Antivirus Group Kaspersky says that in Africa, it is dating apps that pose the harshest threat for users in terms of cybercrime and malware.
Their analysis has shown that within 2019, the local region saw the circulation of 275 threats under the guise of advertisements for over 20 popular dating apps in South Africa – with a total of 4,451 malware attacks coming from them. This is 58% of all attacks detected in all African regions (7,734).
Edited by Luis Monzon
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