National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has taken security measures to protect the data base of the commission from cyber crimes.
Chris Onyemenam, director-general of NIMC said this at a workshop on “Applying big data analytic and active cyber defence in large scale identity management system” organised by NIMC in Abuja.
Onyemenam said that the commission had well equipped members of staff who are charged with the responsibilities of operating its data base.
“We deliberately trained Nigerians to operate the NIMC project so as to avoid the idea of engaging foreign technical experts, who may decide to hold us to ransom in future.”
He said the reason for engaging only Nigerians in the collection and maintenance of the commission’s data base, was to ensure the security of its operations.
He said the commission was aware of the high rate of cyber crimes and the need to protect its data base from such infiltration.
According to him, the commission decided to invite a Nigerian in the Diaspora who is vast in ICT to educate its stakeholders in identity management, on the dangers of cyber crimes and how it can affect the identity management system.
“The reason we are holding this workshop is because NIMC is aware of the high cyber crime threat on the identity management system, and we want to take additional measures to prevent it,’’ Onyemenam said.
In his presentation, Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe, chairman of Milonics Analytics said measures aimed at protecting the country’s identity system from cyber crimes must be sustained.
Ekekwe decried the low consciousness in cyber crime in the country.
“Recent developments in the world have shown that they are high cyber attacks on advance countries and the security of a country can be infiltrated with the advancement in ICT.
“The way we manage our data base today has to change so as to move with technology, it is no longer garbage in and garbage out as usual,’’ Ekekwe said.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to encourage its youths who had interest in ICT to compete favourably with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
“There is need to engage young Nigerians in ICT programmes that will show case their talents in technology,’’ Ekekwe said.