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ABC Launches Virtual Hub to Address Nigeria’s Cybersecurity Skills Gap

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The American Business Council (ABC) has launched its virtual cybersecurity hub to address the dearth of Nigeria’s cybersecurity skill currently put at over four million.

The Chief Executive Officer and Executive Secretary ABC, Ms. Margaret Olele, said at the ABC cyber hub launch and media parley tagged “Cybersecurity Accessibility in Africa-creating an Inclusive Cyberspace” said that the launch of the hub is aimed at providing cybersecurity training modules and fostering cybersecurity awareness for the youths in Nigeria.

Olele pointed out the need to provide accessible solutions to safeguard critical infrastructure in the country, pointing out that education, training and investment in critical infrastructure is key to tackling cyberattacks while also increasing the accessibility and understanding of cybersecurity in the country.

“We are trying to create awareness for the talent gap we have in Nigeria. There is an urgent need for capacity building and upskilling the market that can help drive cybersecurity in Nigeria,” she said.

According to her, the council is working with the federal government and private sector in the ICT space to seek efficient and effective ways to grow Nigeria’s cyberspace.

Also speaking, the United States Commercial Counselor for Nigeria, Ms. Julie LeBlanc, said that the tech sector is very important for economic growth and development, adding that it plays a pivotal role in checkmating cyberattacks.

“The sector must be safe for Nigeria to explore all the potentials of the sector,” she said.

On her part, Aderonke Adeyegbe, the Chief Executive Officer, Commercio Limited, said the virtual hub is long overdue considering the accelerated digital transformation being experienced in the country since the advent of COVID 19.

She called on African governments to help formulate policies and strategies around cybersecurity while also pointing out the need to establish a talent factory to meet Nigeria’s growing needs for cybersecurity and the world at large.

“It is important that cybersecurity is given the front burner because. A lot of youths that are unemployed can come on board to be equipped with cybersecurity trainings to help us combat the spate of cyberattacks,” she said.

“We need a talent factory that meets international standards that the students would be exposed to. This is one of the ways to bridge the shortage of cybersecurity skills in Nigeria and the world,” she added.

Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, the Director, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), IT Hub, University of Lagos, stated the need for Nigeria to keep digitalising and create the proper infrastructure for cybersecurity.

He also highlighted the need to build local capacities and competencies, create new entry points for cybersecurity learning and promote cybersecurity solutions that are home grown.

“We cannot grow as a nation if we keep depending on foreign cybersecurity solutions and technologies,” he urged.

 


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Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

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Chinese “threat actors” have hacked Microsoft’s SharePoint document software servers and targeted the data of the businesses using it, the firm has said.

Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups

 

China state-backed Linen Typhoon and Violet Typhoon as well as China-based Storm-2603 were said to have “exploited vulnerabilities” in on-premises SharePoint servers, the kind used by firms, but not in its cloud-based service.

The US tech giant has released security updates in response and has advised all on-premises SharePoint server customers to install them.

“Investigations into other actors also using these exploits are still ongoing,” Microsoft said in a statement.

The firm said it had “high confidence” the hackers would continue to target systems which have not installed its security updates.

It added that it would update its website blog with more information as its investigation continues.

Microsoft said it had observed attacks in which hackers had sent a request to a SharePoint server “enabling the theft of the key material by threat actors”.

Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer at Mandiant Consulting firm, a division of Google Cloud, told reporter, it was “aware of several victims in several different sectors across a number of global geographies”.

Carmakal said it appeared that governments and businesses that use SharePoint on their sites were the primary target.

A number of adversaries who stole material encoded by cryptography were then able to regain ongoing access to the victims’ SharePoint data, he said.

“This was exploited in a very broad way, very opportunistically before a patch was made available. That’s why this is significant,” Carmakal said.

Carmakal said the “China-nexus actor” was deploying techniques similar to previous campaigns associated with Beijing.

Microsoft said Linen Typhoon had “focused on stealing intellectual property, primarily targeting organizations related to government, defence, strategic planning, and human rights” for 13 years.

It added that Violet Typhoon had been “dedicated to espionage”, primarily targeting former government and military staff, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, higher education, the media, the financial sector and the health sector in the US, Europe, and East Asia.

Meanwhile, Storm-2603 was “assessed with medium confidence to be a China-based threat actor”.

 

 

 


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NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

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National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a public warning that it is not associated with NINcard.com.

NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website

According to the commission, the website has been circulating online to offer services for Nigerians seeking National Identification Number (NIN) services.

NIMC, in a post on its official X account on Wednesday, said, “NINcard.com is not in anyway affiliated to NIMC. Stay vigilant!”

The warning was accompanied by screenshots of fake payment receipts and OTP request pages from the website, both of which were boldly stamped “FAKE” by NIMC to alert the public.


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NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

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National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.

NITDA, API Partner Against Harmful Online Content

The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.

The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.

In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.

“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.

Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.

“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.

He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework.  He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.

According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.

Earlier in her opening remarks,  Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.

Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.

“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”


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