By Funmilola Gboteku and Florence Onuegbu
Lagos – Cyber security experts have urged individuals to adopt the security hygiene approach to curb cyber threats.
The experts gave the advise on Wednesday in Lagos during 9th Securex West Africa Exhibitions and Conference, which encompassed fire and rescue, commercial, homeland and cyber security, organised by Afrocet Montgomey at Landmark Events Centre, was attended by over 150 people.
Favour Femi-Oyewole, the Chief Information and Security Officer, Access Bank Nigeria Plc, said that people were often the weakest link in the security chain because human beings were easily trusting.
Femi-Oyewole said that cyber security awareness was a culture change the country was trying to build, hence, the need to put in a culture to tackle cyber security issues.
“’People should have good security hygiene. They should know what is private to them and what should be taken to the public domain.
“Many organisations are under cyber threats but are not aware, just because some individuals have compromised without knowing it.
“’Cyber security awareness programmes should centre around a company’s business perspective as this will ensure it impacts the individuals,” she said.
Joseph Akhanemeh, Risk, IT Audit Manager, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, said that once one was connected to technology, then such a person was exposed to cyber threats.
Akhanemeh said that cyber security awareness should start from the homes.
Olusola Odurinde, the Acting Chief Information and Security Officer, Polaris Bank, said that it was everyone’s responsibility to tackle cyber security threats.
Odurinde, however, said that government had to take the first step in tackling cyber security issues.
“The process of cyber security is first awareness, then education, assimilation and cultural change.
“’Organisations have fortified their ends, it is now the ends of individuals that cyber attackers are targeting,” he said.
Tunji Igbalajobi, Director, Information Security Development, Cyber Security Export Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), said that government should play a vital role and consider cyber security as an integral issue.
Igbalojobi said that cyber security awareness was one of the focal points that organisations had to invest in to ensure that people were secured.
“There is already cyber security awareness, it is compliance that is the issue.
“Public Private Partnership should be a way to go, as government should involve the private sector on cyber security awareness,” he said.
Salihu Abdullahi, the Head, Information, Security, Control and Risks, Nigeria LNG Ltd. said that for cyber awareness programme to be successful, it has to align with the perspective of the organisation.
Abdullahi said that there was the need to ensure that the senior management team of an organisation understood the need for the cyber security awareness programme for it to be successful. (NAN)