(FLOWERBUDNEWS)The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Wednesday says all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have shared responsibility to build resilience, trust and confidence in the Information Technology system of the country.
Mr Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of NITDA, said this during a two-day Information Assurance Workshop organised for MDAs in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Dr Usman Gambo, the Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solutions (ITIS), represented the Inuwa at the occasion.
He said the urged became necessary because activities of government and industries were done majorly online to reach a good number of citizens and the need to protect IT system.
According to him, data is a critical asset to the digital economy thus making it a critical target for cyber criminals.
He also noted that the increasing use of digital technologies was constantly exposing sensitive information and critical systems to risks and threats in the cyberspace.
“We all have shared responsibility to build resilience, trust and confidence into our systems.
“We all have a shared responsibility to ensure that we keep government information, services, networks and infrastructure secured, this standard is a very bold step toward achieving that goal.
“We have to work together if we are to increase our resilience against malicious cyber risks and threats,” Inuwa said.
He said that cyber threats which infiltrate individual, public systems, were usually unnoticed yet crippling the global economy, adding that the development needed mitigation.
“The growth and potential of the digital economy depends on the trust on the internet and in cyberspace.
“The digital economy is estimated at 22.5 per cent of the world’s economy and yet has not been fully exploited while the Nigerian digital economy is known to account for up to 13.8 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.“
He, however, disclosed that NITDA had commenced implementation of new regulations, inspecting, evaluating regulated institutions to provide support and guidance on trending cyber security issues and ways to combat them.
The director-general also said the agency had created awareness to enable MDAs and security agencies to sensitise citizens on the dangers of cyber threats.
He recalled that the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), created by the agency and National Information Systems and Network Security Standards (NISNSS) under revisw were meant to keep the public abreast with evolving technology trends.
Inuwa urged the participating MDAs to ensure compliance with the circular the OSGF issued on the NISNSS to secure data and technology systems in line with best global practices for digital economy.
According to him, trust in the systems that support Nigerian digital economy remain the key to future innovation, adding that MDAs need to work together to harness benefits and opportunities of the digital revolution.(NAN)
