Cybersecurity is National Security: the case of Nigeria

“In this digital age, our digital space is as important as our territorial distributions, hence cybersecurity must become an integral component of our National Security”

—Chiahanam Nwobodo—

Look around our world today and you will find reasons to affirm the belief that virtually every facet of our daily life is dependent on the commands of technology and the services it presents. The digital age has revolutionised our world. As more data is generated about us and online privacy is fast eroding, it has become pertinent that data protection is given more priority than it already enjoys. This is to ensure the security of users and the wider society.

According to Shea (2023), cybersecurity is a set of precautionary measures given to internet-connected systems such as software, hardware and data from cyber threats. The practice is used by private and public enterprises to guard against unauthorized entry to date centres and other computerised systems. This essay will attempt to outline the relevance of cybersecurity to overall national security with emphasis on practical solutions to the challenges besieging cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity helps prevent destructive attacks that are conceived to alter, extort or erase an organization’s sensitive information. The attack, in some cases, is targeted at private individuals. According to Sear (2023), cybersecurity has threefold threat.

1. Cyber-attack: an assault on a network/system by an unauthorised third party which results in data loss and/or manipulation. The common types are:

• Phishing attack: this is a social engineering attack where a hacker impersonates a trusted person and sends fake emails to their target. Once the unaware target opens the email and clicks on any attached link, the hacker gains immediate access to the target’s personalized information.
• Structural Query Language (SQL) Injection Attack: SQL injection attack makes it possible to execute malicious statements that control a database server behind a web application (Acunetix, 2023). This injection serves to reveal sensitive and vital information.

2. Cybercrime: internet and email fraud, identity theft and infringing copyrights are some of the criminal activities that qualify as cybercrime.

3. Cyber-terrorism: according to Wigan Council (n.d), cyber-terrorism is an attack by a terrorist group at computer systems intended to cause large scale disruptions, create an alarm, panic or destabilize information systems.

These threats may not be very loud on paper, but in reality, they have a wide-reaching impact. Organizations have gone bankrupt, governments have had to struggles with emergencies and many individuals have been forced into serious depression or suicide because of the socio-economic and psychological implications of these malicious acts. This calls for urgent mobilization of technical and human resource to ensure maximum security of the cyber space, for a lot depends on it.

Cybersecurity is now a national concern because countries across the globe rely on technology to run their government. Nigeria is not exempt from this situation as a lot of its databases are electronically stored. Government data on servers are linked to investments, personal information of their citizens (e.g. National Identity Numbers), bilateral and multilateral engagements, etc. Enemies who hack into these databases will compromise national security. Official matters and international engagements will suffer severely if hackers obtain access to information about bilateral relations and compromise the positions of nations.

Furthermore, infrastructures like electricity, water and other systems which depend on electricity will suffer damages and citizens could be starved of relevant amenities if unauthorized third parties gain access into computer systems that control these infrastructures.

However, in Nigeria, a lot of challenges besiege cybersecurity. According to Olaigbe (2022), Nigeria has one of the strongest data protection policies in Africa, yet the nation still struggles with a broken enforcement and disclosure practices. One of the biggest issues facing cybersecurity in Nigeria is the slow and insufficient relay of security breaches or threats of an attack. The situation is made worse as some organisations and government institutions go as far as denying cyber-attacks.

Another problem worthy of note is the poor approach to data protection in the country. Many Information Technology (IT) infrastructures in the country fail to factor in adequate security and protection in their data pipelines. The culture of encryption is not fully imbibed as some organizations do not even regard the full weight of data collection.

Data collection and processing in Nigeria is still not fully monitored as it is ought to be. Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has a lot more to do in its role of cybersecurity and data protection in Nigeria. Sensitive data of people are still randomly released in open spaces where they can easily be tapped by predators that specialize in identity theft. And the place of sensitization is not fully utilized as a lot of Nigerians, especially those at rural communities do not know data that must remain discreet.

In addition, lack of skill set is another problem that begs for attention. Our young ones are not being motivated enough to pursue IT skills for the nation’s interest. Even the professionals who are already active, the little pay and minute incentives force a lot of them to seek greener pastures outside the country—the Japa syndrome.

The fight against cyber threats requires a collective approach. The government and citizens have a role to play in ensuring effective data protection because in the event of a breach, everyone will be affected on way or the other. The following are considerable measures:

• Ensure regular updating of all security software systems: the importance of updating firewalls cannot be over-emphasised. It is at the core of cyber security. The strength of any institution’s cyber-protective systems will determine its vulnerability. Various government agencies and parastatals must see the need to set aside enough resources to ensure good protective firewalls for their systems.
• Recruit competent cybersecurity experts with periodic training and promise of good pay: the government and private enterprises should employ professionals who are well-skilled cybersecurity to manage their database with adequate salaries to keep them motivated. Provisions should also be made for regular training and updating of skills in accordance to the evolving world. To prevent hackers from assessing an institution’s private data, managers of cyber security must be experts in various programming and script languages like JavaScript. Enough skill is required to develop a strong wall against the many manoeuvres of cyber threats and resist malicious attacks.
• Strict punishment for guilty cyber criminals: the government should ensure that crimes do not go unpunished. Perpetrators must be made to understand how wrong they were in choosing the path of crime. By doing so, the rest of society will see reason to apply caution and refuse the temptation to carry out any form of cyber-attack. Security agencies should also collaborate with relevant regulatory agencies of the cyber space to ensure close monitoring of activities in the space so as to nab suspects before any malicious attempt is completed.
• Proper orientation of youths: Nigeria has one of the largest populations of young people in the world. We will set ourselves up for a massive global influence if we can harness their potentials for the benefit of the Nigerian society. Unfortunately the situation is far from ideal. Young people in Nigeria must be taught through proper orientation programmes to shun cyber-crimes and embrace the legitimate use of the internet.

In conclusion, with the digitization of global systems, no country can boast of adequate national security without a stable framework for cybersecurity. The basic functioning of critical economic sectors, the operation of infrastructures, national defence and indeed the strength of our democracy are closely tied to our cyberspaces. Nigeria, while overcoming the challenges facing its cyber security, must not fail to leverage the power of its young population for the national interest. We must use what we have to reach the heights we desire.

REFERENCES

Acunetix (2023). What is SQL Injection (SQL) and How to prevent it. Retrieved from

https://www.acunetix.com/websitesecurity/sql-injection/

Olaigbe, O. (2022). The Deep Roots of Nigeria’s Cybersecurity Problem. WIRED. Retrieved

from https://www.wired.com/story/nigeria-cybersecurity-issues/

Shea, S. (2023). What is cybersecurity? TechTarget. Retrieved from

https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/cybersecurity

Sear, M. J. (2023). The Importance of Cybersecurity for Governments. LinkedIn. Retrieved

from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-cybersecurity-governments-

mohammad-j-sear

Wigan Council (n.d). Cyber terrorism. Retrieved from

https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Crime-Emergencies/Counter-terrorism/Cyber-

terrorism.aspx