According to PPC Nigeria, an ICT and infrastructure development firm, there is a need to upgrade critical security infrastructure in the nation given the recent advancements in cyber-threats as a result of the rising adoption of newer technologies by organizations and numerous warnings and alerts from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Speaking in Lagos, PPC Nigeria’s Head of the ICT Division, Dr. Patrick Ede, claimed that sophisticated tools were now being used by cybercriminals to manage out-of-date IT systems and get remote access to crucial client data.
This bears the implication, in his opinion, that organizations whose security has been compromised would suffer critical operations disruption, revenue loss, and data loss.
According to him, malevolent cyber hackers frequently create irreparable damage to one’s credibility and reputation. He also added that failing to address IT system vulnerabilities would impair overall corporate performance.
In recent months, the NCC’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) has released a number of security alerts warning Nigerians to be on the lookout for five malicious Google Chrome Extensions, compromised apps, and vulnerabilities in particular antivirus programs that covertly track users’ online activities and compromise their data.
According to the telecoms authority, malicious software that has a significant potential for harm has been downloaded numerous times by unwary users, endangering their privacy.
“As a result of unprecedented worldwide technology adoption and a hybrid work culture, businesses are now facing new security challenges. To launch their attacks, these thieves look for weaknesses in both new and old technological infrastructures, according to Ede.
He said, “It has become imperative for organisations to rethink how they address security concerns. Regular upgrade of software and hardware infrastructure should be included in cybersecurity measures to minimize risk of breaches. Software is not perfect and threat actors often exploit loopholes.”
Therefore, when the vendor warns of a security concern, enterprises must prepare to implement fixes right away.
“While there has been a lot of focus on software updates, physical technology devices such as workstations and servers that are slow or have stopped receiving vendor updates, need to be replaced to mitigate risk of data breaches. Most end-of-life hardware infrastructure is not interoperable with new software installations and as such, the software requires an updated hardware to run it.”
He claimed that various organizations in the public and commercial sectors have benefited from PPC Nigeria’s competence in the deployment of ICT and engineering solutions to establish a safe and cooperative working environment.
