Internet of Things begets rise in cybercrimes – John Bray

ITREALMS:

The Internet community in Nigeria has been reminded that the rise in the Internet of Things (IoT) will bring about increase in cybercrimes, reports ITRealms.

The United States Consul General, Mr F. John Bray, gave this insight in his remarks at the 2017 Cybersecurity Awareness in Lagos, invited Nigerians to visit www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnect and become active members of the Stop, Think and Connect campaign.

He believes many Nigerians would agree cybersecurity is an important issue, hence, October marks the 14th Annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) since its foundation, stressing that the global internet community will lose estimated $6 trillion dollars to cybercrimes, moreso with the “Internet of Things (IoT)” which will continue to increase the amount of crimes we see.

“This national public awareness campaign is a collaborative effort between government and industry that encourages individuals to protect their computers and our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure,” he said.

All around the globe, he told ITRealms that individuals, companies, and governments have become the victims of cyberattacks, which led President Obama in 2009 to call for an increase in education and dialogue about Cybersecurity in the Cyberspace Security Review.

“As part of this policy review, the Department of Homeland Security created an ongoing Cybersecurity awareness campaign – Stop.Think.Connect,” he declared, adding that Stop.Think.Connect. is a national public awareness campaign designed to raise awareness of cybersecurity and to be more vigilant about practicing safe online habits.

By joining the campaign, he said, internet enthusiasts will have connections to partners and subject matter experts who are committed to increasing online safety; cybersecurity tips, messaging, articles, and presentations; monthly discussions highlighting current cyber issues and trends.

“People are spending more time online – at home and at work -- than ever before. Our growing dependence on technology, coupled with the increasing threat of cyber-attacks and risks to our privacy, demands greater security in our online world,” Mr. John Bay said.

Emphasising that by adopting and joining the Stop.Think.Connect campaign, people will better understand the risks that come with using the internet and the importance of practicing safe online behavior.

“Every year, billions of dollars are lost through cybercrimes globally. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that the global community will lose more than $6 trillion annually by 2021. With the number of internet users growing daily, law enforcement officials expect the number of victims to increase as well as the value of their losses,” he said.

Without good cybersecurity in place, he said, experts estimate that nearly half of the entire G-20 economy will be lost to cybercriminals.

Defining “Internet of Things” as the technology used in Bluetooth and Wireless Fidelity (Wifi) devices in homes, that is likes of refrigerators, dishwashers, and microwaves.

“These devices can be hacked and used in a malicious manner to cause serious harm,” he said, insisting that cyber awareness is everyone’s responsibility.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Law enforcement agencies go on digital rights, cybercrimes

ITRealms:

Participants at a workshop on Digital Rights and Cybercrimes have called for increased capacity building for law enforcement agencies on handling issues related to cybercrimes in Nigeria and digital rights of the citizens, reports ITRealms.

Speakers at the workshop hosted by Paradigm Initiative in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice on Wednesday, 31st May 2017 focused primarily on section 24 and 38 of the Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015.

According to the Program Manager at Paradigm Initiative, Adeboye Adegoke, “the focus on the two sections was deliberate. We focused on those sections because they are prone to be misapplied to infringe on the digital rights and freedoms of citizens, especially freedom of expression and privacy online. Section 24, in particular, has already been cited in more than ten documented cases of alleged illicit arrest and abuse of rights. Provisions of Sections 24 and 38 of the Act were examined at the workshop as they are believed to be threats to digital rights in Nigeria.  Section 24 poses a threat to freedom of expression online while section 38 gives security agencies the right to hold on to citizen’s information, thereby violating their rights to privacy of their information online.”

The workshop which provided an opportunity for participants to review cases of arrests related to sections 24 and 38 of the Act and the effects of these arrests on citizens. 

Participants were drawn from the Nigerian Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from various states in Nigeria and the FCT.

Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Mr ‘Gbenga Sesan, while introducing participants to Digital Rights, highlighted the importance of the internet to democratic participation in Nigeria, and stressed that though rights in the digital realm exist, they are not respected. 

He spoke on the provisions in the Cybercrimes Act 2015 that give law enforcement agents access to citizen’s data and how these provisions are prone to abuse. He illustrated with examples of ways in which files in government offices and Nigerian courts are currently being handled. 

According to him, “Surveillance and Interception must be lawful, with clearly stated procedures and clear judicial oversight to avoid abuse. Respect for human rights in the day to day activities of law enforcement officers helps to foster citizen and security agency cooperation. It is well known that countries that focus on innovation rather than clampdowns avail themselves huge economic opportunities. This can be seen through the relationship between the GDP of those countries and the level of internet penetration and internet freedom”.

Also speaking to participants at the training, Mr. George-Maria Tyendezwa, Head, Computer Crime Prosecution Unit at Federal Ministry of Justice stressed that we must differentiate between libel and slander from cyberstalking, and that one-time acts don’t constitute stalking mentioned in Section 24. 

He advised anyone that feels defamed not to use the apparatus of the state to oppress anyone but to go to court for remedy

According to Tope Ogundipe, Director of Programs at Paradigm Initiative, “we believe that law enforcement agents who participated in the workshop are better equipped in handling and managing cases involving Cybercrime as a result of this workshop. Our objective is to ensure that the Cybercrimes Act 2015 does not become an instrument of oppression in the hands of the powerful using security agencies as tools.”

The workshop was attended by operatives from Abuja, Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kano, Lagos, Enugu and the FCT.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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