Federal Government sets up emergency cybercrime centre..

Minister of Communications Technology,Mrs.Omobola Johnson

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications Technology, has established an agency charged with the responsibility of fighting cybercrimes.

The government said the development was part of its efforts to combat fraud perpetrated in the cyberspace, saying the centre would come under the direct supervision of the National Security Adviser.

It made the disclosure in Lagos, on Thursday, at the quarterly forum of a Lagos-based online advocacy company, Digital Jewels.

The forum was a one-stop meeting point for stakeholders in the Information Technology industry to rub minds on topical issues affecting the industry.

Stakeholders at the event called for greater awareness on online fraud, and promised to articulate a more coherent response by all relevant stakeholders utilising cyber platform for their business transactions.

However, the Director in charge of e-Governance in the ministry, Mr. Tope Fadeshemi, said the centre would be charged with the responsibility of tracking, preventing as well as reporting cybercrimes within the nation’s border.

Fashedemi described the centre as a viable IT infrastructure. “It will allow people with requisite knowledge to monitor suspicious movements or transactions and hopefully stop it.

“It can also alert the organisations concerned to potential attack or in some cases track whatever attack that had been carried out,” he said.

Fashedemi said that the primary idea was centred towards having a cyber INTERPOL.

“The idea is a concerted effort that is being driven by the office of the National Security Adviser who is heading the team. They have the authority to relate with other jurisdictions to act on different aspects of cybercrimes, which individuals and corporate bodies might not be able to do,” he added.

The Managing Director of the Digital Jewels, Mrs. Adedoyin Odunfa, urged all stakeholders to forge collective efforts to defeat online fraud, saying information and proper awareness hold the key to the fight.

“The war that we are fighting today is not in any way physical but wars that are being fought in the cyberspace.

“As relevant stakeholders, we must do all within our powers to secure organisations and ourselves. Awareness of the trends and scope is what is needed,” Odunfa added.

Source - PUNCH