By: Theresa Igata

In its efforts, as the telecommunications industry regulator, towards ensuring safer Internet use for all telecoms consumers, the Nigerian Communications Communication says it has set in motion the process of establishing an Internet Industry Code of Practice in accordance with its mandate to regulate the communications sector in Nigeria.

This was disclosed by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission, Umar Danbatta

Danbatta who was speaking at the 87th Telecoms Consumer Parliament in Lagos themed: Challenges of Cybercrime: The Role of the Telecoms Service Providers noted that the Code is to clearly define the rights and obligations of Internet Access Service Providers with regard to the issues therein and to also protect the right of Internet users to an Open Internet.

“It provides clear guidelines to Internet Access Service Providers on the use of traffic management practices. It also outlines the obligations of Internet Access Service Providers in relation to the protection of consumers’ personal data and security among others”.

“While the Commission stipulates the rules of engagement that will make the cyberspace safe and ensure the confidence as well as the safety of the cyberspace, it needs to be acknowledged that there are benefits and risks of the use of cyberspace and both have to be properly managed”.

“Needless to say, therefore, that the cyberspace has become a blossoming haven for cyber criminals to perpetrate their insidious acts which have continued to cost unsuspecting Internet users and many organisations billions of naira in lost money and revenue.”

Danbatta added that the Commission in response to also tackling the various issues in the cyber space and the internet, has come up with the National Cyber Security Instance Response Team; a team of computers networked together, designed to checkmate incidences of cyber crime on the telecoms network.

He noted that the lab and equipment needed to achieve this have been setup. “What remains is just the configuration. This is to ensure that the telecoms network is secure because in addition to all the benefits of the digital revolution there is a risk dimension that results in the erosion of privacy and security”.

“The NCC therefore must be at the forefront to ensure that our telecoms networks are secure enough for Nigerians who want to subscribe to telecoms services and that they do so without any fear of their privacy being violated”.

He added that as the complexity of the network increases in terms of subscriptions to voice, data, broadband services and by extension internet services, then the burden on the networks must increase.

“Two things must happen, the infrastructure (that will provide the necessary speed required) must be adequate to shoulder this additional burden. The service must be prompt and in the right speed to justify the monies that subscribers pay for data services”.

“The volume of all these transactions from Nigerians must be such that all the networks will be able to contend with the burden so that everything moves seamlessly without problem”.

“The risks will also increase and therefore investments in measures to contain these risks must also increase, but the beauty of the CeSAT, the network that we have deployed deliberately to contain cyber crimes is such that its topology can be increased whereas it has 10 computers initially to contain with existing challenges of cyber crime, then by the time the subscription in numbers increase we’ll have to double the number”.

He noted that there is provision for the expansion of the CeSAT to contain the increasing numbers of subscription across the 4 numbers of services that telcos provide.

Danbatta however enjoined Telecoms Service Providers operating in Nigeria to now more than ever, strengthen their cyber-risk protection systems and architecture.

“We also believe that the time has come for organisations and telecoms service providers alike, to begin to use next-generation authentication as against the hitherto username-password authentication system”.

The Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of the NCC, Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, speaking on the essence of the TCP said it is an avenue for consumers, service provider, the regulator and other stakeholders in the telecommunications industry to address critical industry challenges affecting consumers and other stakeholders in the telecommunications value-chain in Nigeria.

According to her, it is common knowledge that access to high-speed internet or broadband is getting more pervasive and available to Nigerians to enable them achieve more efficiency in their daily activities.

“The issue of cybercrime is a global phenomenon with levels of pervasiveness differing from country to country, and from region to region. It is also more pronounced in Nigeria, as it costs individuals and organisations financial losses, among other dangers it poses to victims. It is therefore our concern in NCC, to see that risks associated with the usage of Internet by Nigerians are addressed and mitigated too”, she said.