‘Managed security services can help Nigeria curb cyber attacks’

• Country loses 0.08% of GDP to menace

To curb the increasing threat posed by cyber attacks to businesses, especially in Nigeria, organisations have been advised to explore managed security services. This is coming on the heels of the recent ransomware attack, WannaCry, which has been described as the world’s biggest cyber-attack till date, and has wrecked the Internet and computer systems in over 100 countries including Spain, Russia, and China.

The UK Guardian informed that patient files at the U.K. National Health Services were locked and patients could not be treated as a result. Experts have warned the virus is not done yet, saying that more attacks are being expected, thus highlighting the urgent need for reinforced cyber security.

The attack according to reports exploited vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows Operating System, especially unsupported Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows server 2003. Microsoft in a recent statement via its twitter handle assured it was working round the clock to ensure security of its customers.

With the increasing frequency of cyber-attacks globally, organisations cannot afford to be complacent about their cyber-security and online defences. Leading the fight in Nigeria’s business landscape is MainOne, West Africa’s premier connectivity and data centre provider, which has partnered with Radware, a global leader in cyber-security, to offer a solution specifically designed to improve organisations’ ability to effectively respond to cyber-attacks.

MainOne’s Product Manager for Managed Services, Olugbenga Akano, said there is a compelling need to increasingly sensitise the public, especially enterprise businesses about the need to enhance their cyber security posture. According to him, cyber-attacks to businesses in Nigeria are no longer a matter of ‘If’ but a matter of ‘When’ given that Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming cheaper to activate.

“We do not recommend that our customers wait till when it becomes a problem to act, but begin to put measures in place now to prevent those attacks from impacting their organisations,” he cautioned.

The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, also corroborated the need for protection from cyber-attacks when he urged banks, companies and other establishments to employ experts to protect their data from cyber-attacks.

The minister disclosed that cyber criminals were thinking faster, and stressed that the Federal Government would act to prevent cyber criminals from taking it unaware.