The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced its activities for the 2023 Cybersecurity Awareness Month, emphasising the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness.
The agency, in alignment with its mandate, has embarked on a series of programs designed to educate and sensitise the public about cybersecurity threats and safety measures.
Last year, NITDA partnered with CISCO to provide training to 3242 individuals on basic and intermediate cybersecurity skills. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an annual global initiative celebrated in October to promote cybersecurity awareness and education. This year marks the 20th edition of collaborative awareness campaigns between public and private sector organizations worldwide.
According to the head of corporate affairs and external relations at NITDA, Mrs. Hadiza Umar the 2023 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month will feature various programmes aimed at enlightening the public about cybersecurity threats and the necessary steps to safeguard themselves in the digital age. The theme for this year’s celebration is “See Yourself in Cyber,” emphasising that cybersecurity is a collective responsibility, and everyone plays a role in ensuring cyber safety.
The primary objective of this awareness campaign is to encourage the adoption of secure cyber hygiene practices. To achieve this goal effectively, individuals must acknowledge the importance of cybersecurity, understand its principles, and be willing to implement security measures to protect themselves.
This year’s awareness campaign is focused on educating citizens about identifying and countering various cyber threats, including digital misinformation and disinformation, social media attacks (authentication and social engineering attacks), phishing (phishing scam websites, email phishing/business email compromise), cyberbullying, responsible online behaviour, ransomware attacks etc.
NITDA is collaborating with relevant stakeholders to conduct grassroots awareness campaigns designed to educate the general public about these cyber threats and how to defend against them. In partnership with Galaxy Backbone, the agency will distribute specially-designed information flyers to public sector organizations.
NITDA has also conducted a cybersecurity training programme in Ilorin, Kwara State, in collaboration with O-range Cybersecurity Training Service Limited. The training involved the participation of over 5,000 youths from various states.
According to NITDA, upcoming activities during the Cybersecurity Awareness Month include the NITDA-Cisco cybersecurity awareness training, which aims to train 4,000 youths in ethical hacking, endpoint security, network defence and cyber threat management. The call for applications opened on October 2, and the virtual training portal will be available on October 18, 2023.
A two-day Innovation Challenge on Cybersecurity programme focused on identifying and showcasing innovative cybersecurity technologies, particularly solutions applicable in the public sector. Over 3,000 applications have already been submitted.
A general awareness programme highlighting NITDA’s initiatives and services, such as the Trustmark system for online trading, free web application firewall for all MDAs, public key infrastructure (PKI), free vulnerability analysis and penetration testing (VAPT) for MDAs and monitoring of MDAs portals, social media monitoring and recovery, digital forensics, cyber drills, as well as cybersecurity training.
NITDA calls on both private and public sector organisations, as well as the general public, to participate in efforts to secure Nigerian cyberspace. Collective action is crucial in making Nigerian cyberspace and the global digital environment safe and secure for all.
