Security Experts Warn over Digital Invasion, Risk of SM Exposure
By Pelumi Olaleye
Against the backdrop of Ransomeware and other vices,Security experts in the country have warned that any system that is not digitally guarded could be easily invaded.
According to them, if there is a problem with any of the following factors; Architecture, Design, Implementation and Operations(ADIO), they could be invaded.
They disclosed that cybersecurity is a journey and not a destination.
These were statements made at the weekend during the first edition of Master security class for ICT journalists, organised by Digital Encode, a consulting and integration firm that specializes in the design, management, and security of business-critical networks.
Speaking, Digital Encode Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO),Mr Wale Obadare, said the purpose of the Master class was to reduce low security awareness. “Nigerians need to open up to the fact that cyber attacks are real, reduce exposing themselves as well as how cyber attacks could be prevented”.
Obadare, explained that a cyberspace is a virtual environment, which does not exist in a physical form but rather from a complex environment resulting from the emergencies of the internet. Adding that cyber security is digital. It has to do with the internet, computers, and mobile devices.
He said, the internet needs to be policed in order to monitor what information is delivered to the public and also to reduce cyber risks and attacks.
On his part, Founder of Digital Encode, Mr Oluseyi Akindeinde, added that Nigerians only focus on installing anti virus, firewall rather than training people or members of staff about cyber risks and process of avoiding them.
“Installing firewall alone cannot curb cyber attacks, people need to be trained. Processes need to be followed to build a strong resistance to cyber attacks”
He further stated that phishing, DDoS and pharming are mostly used by hackers on websites.
“Phishing is a fake website designed to look like that actual website. This is used to trick the target into entering the username and password into the fake login, which serves the purpose of stealing the identity of the victim, while Denial of Service (DoS) sends millions of traffic to a single server to cause the system down with certain security feature disable, so that data can be stolen.
“In pharming, all traffics are being redirected to the attacker’s DNS, or host file are edited to redirect you to another site, which usually cost the owners of the website their integrity” he said.