The National Information Technology Development Agency (NIDTA) has alerted the public of the activities of cyber criminals targeting important digital infrastructure in the country.
This was disclosed via a press statement signed by the head of corporate affairs and external relations Mrs. Hadiza Umar this afternoon.
Hacktivist group behind recent cyber attacks
The agency noted that its Computer Emergency and Readiness Response Team had detected activities of hacktivists- a group with a politically and religiously motivated cyber campaign reputation that has been targeting the nation’s digital infrastructure.
It noted that the group has a history of success in cyber-attacks especially DDoS attack types of different governments’ infrastructure.
NITDA warns the public to stay alert
The agency warned members of the public of the threat of cyber-attacks noting it is not a far danger but a looming threat. It encouraged individuals and government agencies to be digitally alert to this danger by reinforcing digital firewalls to protect vital information and critical national digital infrastructure from intrusion.
According to the release, such cyber-attacks can result in disruption of critical services, economic losses, loss of public trust and reputation, etc.
Steps to prevent cyber-attacks.
The agency through its Computer Emergency and Readiness Response Team (CERT), also advised the public on steps to take to prevent such cyber-attacks. They are;
- Deploying a DDoS monitoring system to watch out for signs of DDoS attacks.
- Minimizing the attack surface area by limiting the options for attackers and allowing you to build protection in a single place.
- Implementing or subscribing to DDoS features, applications, or services to fortify your cyber defenses against disruptive DDoS attacks.
- Ensuring that hosting providers offer abundant internet connectivity, enabling systems to manage large volumes of traffic effectively.
- Configuring network hardware such as a firewall or router to drop incoming ICMP packets or block DNS responses from outside the network.
It noted that critical national infrastructure such as financial service providers, telecom providers, and government agencies should be cyber security conscious and stand prepared by implementing measures that guarantee security.