Cyber Security, A Necessity – Expert

A cyber security expert, Mr Amos Terse, has said that the use of internet has become a necessity which should be taken seriously, especially as regards security, by every organ-isation.
Terse, the founder of Abuja-based SedHub stated, this during an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja.
SedHub is an IT outfit that is into training of young scientists into developing cybersecurity apps.
He said this had become imperative because connectivity in the age of digital revolution had radically transformed our lives and brought unprecedented benefits to companies’ operations.
According to him, “Digitalisation is a double-edged sword and comes with risks such as cyber exposures.
“Individuals and Companies are facing a number of challenges such as the prospect of more disruptive and expensive business interruptions, such as the increase in the frequency and cost of ransomware and malware incidents,’’ he said.
He disclosed that intensifying IT vulnerabilities and cyber incidents ranked among top business threats globally in year 2020/2021 due to increased digitalization and remote working driven by the pandemic.
Terse advised companies and businesses with online presence to continuously invest in technical IT security and have access to incident response services in case of an incident.
“These companies know what their precious data and assets online are and are committed to establishing IT security standards and also continue upgrading on it.
“At the peak of the first wave of lockdowns, in April 2020, there was an FBI report that there was a 300% increase in incidents in cybercrime around the world,’’ he said.
The expert noted that the role of employee awareness and training was significant in reducing the consequences of a cyber-event, especially when it comes to identifying phishing schemes and malware in business emails.
“Companies with online presence and a large share of customer data (financial records, phone number, emails etc) are particularly exposed targets for online scammers and internet fraudsters,’’ he said.