My people, e be like sey we don enter new jam for cyber world! Cybercrime no dey sleep o; as e dey cost dem trillions worldwide, na we dey carry most of the wahala for head! Small businesses from Aba to big shots for Abuja dey suffer under this matter, because dem no fit spend plenty money for security.
As we sabi, plenty people still dey think sey cybersecurity na wahala for IT departments alone, but e don turn issue wey dey affect everybody wey dey use internet. From bank alerts wey go dey vibrate for your phone, to emails wey dey look like sey dem come from trusted vendors, na dem things na wetin dey bring damage before we even sabi wetin dey happen.
Experts don talk am say ‘supply chain’ na serious gbege wey many no dey understand. Na the small small vendors, cloud services and the apps wey we download free dey form our digital supply chain. If one link no strong, e fit allow enter through backdoor wey we no go see at all. Criminals sabi sey na dem small vendors dem go use to reach bigger targets. If dem fit compromise your vendor, your own organization no dey secure again, even if you lock your back door well well.
Ruth Okewole, one cybersecurity professional wey dey do wetin strong, talk say na ‘trust’ wey dey carry problem come: “Most people dey busy lock their office doors but dem dey forget sey person fit enter through the back gate.” Na true talk she talk. Wetin we go do be sey we go need to dey sharpify our cybersecurity awareness! Na people and their habits go help us protect our systems, not just the technology we dey use.
For Nigeria, where digital services dey grow like pepper soup, the stakes high! If dem fit succeed for one major attack, e fit scatter everything—from mobile banking to government systems. So, we gats build awareness like na road safety skill. We go fit protect ourself if we sabi wetin to look out for.
And una sabi say cyber awareness no fit just be one-off training? E gats continuous and practical! People wey dey work from the receptionist to the managing director, everybody gats play their own role. “Security no be tool, na mindset,” as dem dey talk. If we fit make this awareness part of our daily life, e go help us wella.
Some fine examples dey plenty; when dem teach children to look before crossing road, we fit teach everyone to think before dey click on links. We gats break this culture properly. Experts don talk say na the ‘human element’ dey the weakest link for cybersecurity. Attackers sabi take advantage of trust. They go learn your behavior and routines come package their attack to sweet mouth you. Innocent clicks fit lead to total disaster.
Make we serious now; cybersecurity na business and social issue wey affect us for Nigeria. E go fit disrupt operations and damage trust! Dem don talk am say any breach fit carry big problem go start. Make una imagine if one fintech app waka go down, wetin go happen to the businesses wey dey depend on am?
We gats join hands—we need collaboration from the government, private sector and schools. If we make policies wey go encourage good practices, and train young people on how to handle this cybersecurity matter, e go help us stand strong. Cybersecurity be big business wey fit create plenty jobs for young graduates, but them gats get the right practical training!
Na now we dey see wetin dey happen globally, we need to be proactive because cybersecurity na public trust matter. As our digital footprint dey grow for fintech, telecom and government services, we gats put everything wey we dey do on ground to protect our citizens, or else, cybercriminals go run our show!
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