Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has urged Nigerians to be extra vigilant as criminals are exploiting the COVID-19 Pandemic to defraud unsuspecting citizens.
The Minister, in a statement released on Thursday by Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant (Information Technology) said that migration to home-based unsecure digital platforms, that was occasioned by the novel corona virus, can make users more vulnerable to cyberattacks.
He noted that their cybersecurity teams in recent time have intercepted phishing attacks aimed at infecting systems or extracting sensitive information from unsuspecting individuals.
He further noted that other cyberattacks intercepted by their team are campaigns that defraud citizens by offering essential products and services at suspicious prices; Fake news and misinformation aimed at spreading panic, creating instability and promoting distrust; and Video-teleconferencing (VTC) hijacking (also called “Zoom-bombing”).
The Honourable Minister thereby urged everyone to be extra-cautious and reinforce security measures while interacting online, especially when banking online.
He called on Nigerians to always observe these important basic cyberspace rules such as: Ignoring suspicious online offers; being circumspect in sharing VTC details; using complex passwords; keeping software up to date; and refraining from sharing unverified information.
Similarly, Pantami stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed how we interact as individuals.
According to him, “there has been an appreciable migration of several meetings, lectures and other form of interactions to online platforms.
“The implicit requirement of social distancing has increased the adoption of online platforms and e-payment systems.
“This, no doubt, is a positive development that will support our implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria.
The minister reassured of governments commitment of keeping Nigerians safe online by regularly issuing cybersecurity advisories.