Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS by Remmy Nweke dissects Nigeria’s phone-tapping controversy, exposing telecom vulnerabilities from SS7 exploits to International Mobile Subscriber Identity catchers, while prescribing safeguards to protect citizens’ privacy and digital sovereignty.
National scramble for safety:
Nigeria is experiencing a subtle but powerful shift, from digital indifference to digital alertness. In the aftermath of the widely discussed “Digital Surveillance Confession,” what began as political commentary has transformed into personal anxiety. Citizens are no longer debating whether surveillance exists. They are asking whether they themselves are exposed.
Nigeria is experiencing a subtle but powerful shift, from digital indifference to digital alertness. In the aftermath of the widely discussed “Digital Surveillance Confession,” what began as political commentary has transformed into personal anxiety. Citizens are no longer debating whether surveillance exists. They are asking whether they themselves are exposed.
The reaction has been instinctive. Like startled travelers sensing danger, Nigerians have rushed, not into the streets, but into their phone settings. Across Computer Village in Ikeja, in corporate offices in Lagos, and within ministries in Abuja, citizens are examining their devices with unusual suspicion. They are consulting technicians, dialing unfamiliar codes, and searching for reassurance.
The metaphor is apt: many are running without waiting to confirm the number of their legs. But before we run, we must understand what we are running from.
Architecture of vulnerability:
Modern telecommunications infrastructure was not originally designed for today’s threat landscape. Much of the global voice network still relies on legacy systems such as Signaling System No. 7 (SS7), a protocol developed in the 1970s to coordinate call routing between telecom operators.
SS7 was built for trust, not hostility. It assumes that only authorized operators have access. In today’s interconnected world, that assumption is fragile.
Through SS7 vulnerabilities, a malicious actor with network-level access can reroute calls, intercept SMS messages, and even track location data without touching the target’s device. The phone itself may show no sign of compromise. No malware. No suspicious app. Yet the communication may already be exposed.
This explains how even high-profile individuals could have private conversations monitored without realizing it. But SS7 is only one part of the story.
Every SIM card contains a unique number known as the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI). This number allows mobile networks to identify and authenticate subscribers.
Surveillance tools known as 'IMSI catchers' exploit this identification process.
Thus, an 'IMSI catcher' operates by impersonating a legitimate mobile base station. When deployed within a target area, it broadcasts a signal strong enough to attract nearby phones. Devices automatically connect, believing they are communicating with a genuine cell tower.
Once connected, the attacker can intercept calls, monitor SMS exchanges, and track physical location. In some cases, the device forces the phone to downgrade to older network standards such as 2G, where encryption protections are weaker.
The most troubling aspect of this method is its invisibility. The phone appears normal. The user suspects nothing. Yet the communication channel has been quietly redirected.
Understanding this architecture is essential. Because once you understand the diagnosis, you can apply the prescription.
Immediate safeguards for every citizen:
If you find yourself metaphorically checking the number of your legs in panic, pause. Protection begins with deliberate action.
The first measure is what I describe as the Shortcode Sweep. By dialing *#21#, you can determine whether your calls or messages are being forwarded to another number. If you discover an unfamiliar number linked to your line, dialing ##002# immediately cancels all call forwarding and restores default settings. It is a simple but powerful safeguard that many Nigerians have never used.
Next is strengthening what I call the Human Firewall. Technology cannot compensate for careless habits. Traditional cellular voice calls remain vulnerable due to legacy signaling weaknesses. Sensitive conversations should migrate to encrypted platforms such as Signal or WhatsApp, both of which employ End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). With E2EE in place, even if network interception occurs, the content remains unreadable.
Another crucial layer of protection involves reviewing your digital ecosystem. Visit your Google or Apple ID security settings and inspect the list of devices currently logged into your account.
These steps require no advanced technical training. They require awareness and discipline.
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Infrastructure responsibility and bigger picture:
While citizens must act responsibly, telecom operators and regulators also carry significant responsibility. Network modernization must include robust signaling firewalls to protect against SS7 exploitation.
As Nigeria advances into LTE and 5G ecosystems, encryption standards improve, but legacy systems remain operational.
Digital security is therefore not a single upgrade. It is an ongoing process of vigilance, modernization, and accountability.
Surveillance is easier today not because citizens are careless, but because infrastructure evolution has not fully kept pace with threat sophistication.
Digital security is therefore not a single upgrade. It is an ongoing process of vigilance, modernization, and accountability.
Surveillance is easier today not because citizens are careless, but because infrastructure evolution has not fully kept pace with threat sophistication.
Don't Run, Protect:
The panic currently visible across Nigeria is both understandable and revealing. It reflects a society awakening to the realities of digital vulnerability, a realization that the devices we trust most can also expose us if left unguarded. Yet panic, by itself, offers no protection. Panic is instinct. Protection is strategy.
Protection begins with knowledge applied, understanding how telecommunications infrastructure works and where its weaknesses lie. It continues with behavior adjusted; shifting sensitive conversations away from vulnerable traditional voice channels and toward encrypted platforms designed to preserve confidentiality.
And it matures with infrastructure strengthened, through continuous modernization and accountability from operators and regulators entrusted with safeguarding national communications.
The mobile phone is no longer merely a communication device. It is an extension of identity, finance, relationships, and personal sovereignty. To protect it is to protect oneself.
At Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS, our counsel is neither alarmist nor dismissive. It is deliberate: do not run blindly. Running without understanding only deepens vulnerability. Instead, understand the threat. Apply the available safeguards. Take control of your digital environment.
The anxiety symbolized by “running without waiting to confirm the number of your legs” is a natural human response to perceived danger. But resilience not panic, is the true defense. By moving your most sensitive communications onto encrypted channels and adopting disciplined digital habits, you reclaim control over your privacy and restore the balance of power between user and network.
In today’s interconnected world, true security is not defined by the absence of surveillance attempts. It is defined by the presence of awareness, preparedness, and resilience.
That is the journey now before Nigeria.
The mobile phone is no longer merely a communication device. It is an extension of identity, finance, relationships, and personal sovereignty. To protect it is to protect oneself.
At Telecoms Clinic@ITREALMS, our counsel is neither alarmist nor dismissive. It is deliberate: do not run blindly. Running without understanding only deepens vulnerability. Instead, understand the threat. Apply the available safeguards. Take control of your digital environment.
The anxiety symbolized by “running without waiting to confirm the number of your legs” is a natural human response to perceived danger. But resilience not panic, is the true defense. By moving your most sensitive communications onto encrypted channels and adopting disciplined digital habits, you reclaim control over your privacy and restore the balance of power between user and network.
In today’s interconnected world, true security is not defined by the absence of surveillance attempts. It is defined by the presence of awareness, preparedness, and resilience.
That is the journey now before Nigeria.
From panic to protection. And the message remains clear and enduring: don’t run in fear, protect with knowledge.
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