Law Enforcement Agencies have been urged to collaborate closely with telecom operators and regulatory bodies to investigate and prosecute e-fraud perpetrators as enhanced coordination, information sharing, and dedicated cybercrime units can go a long way in deterring criminals and bringing them to justice.
Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta who made this appeal last week in Lagos, also stated that strengthening international cooperation in combating cross-border e-fraud is also imperative, as cybercriminals often exploit jurisdictional limitations to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
Speaking at the 2nd Quarter 2023 Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF) Meeting (Open Forum), Danbatta, who reiterated NCC’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate and passion for driving Digital Economy in Nigeria, said the Commission has continued to implement initiatives to protect, inform and educate telecom consumers in this regard.
“Through its Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), the Commission undertakes constant Consumer Education with a significant part of this effort dedicated to providing information that equips the Consumer to thrive in a world that has embraced digital finance.
“Information dissemination materials on how to safeguard themselves while using telecom platforms to access digital financial products are available on the NCC consumer portal whilst hardcopies are distributed at consumer outreach events,” he said.
To further protect telecom consumers, Danbatta said that the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) periodically notifies telecom consumers of the latest cybersecurity threats and how to avoid falling victim to them.
He disclosed that the NCC-CSIRT in collaboration with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) at the office of the National Security Adviser has been at the forefront of protecting telecom consumers from cyber threats.
“The provision of timely advisories has helped to protect consumers from being unfairly targeted by cyber-attacks, which goes a long way in ensuring that they can access digital services without suffering unwarranted losses. We strongly believe that by fostering a culture of vigilance and knowledge, we can collectively reduce the success rate of e-fraud attempts,” Danbatta noted.
The EVC who believed that combatting e-fraud is not just the responsibility of industry stakeholders and authorities, said that consumers too, must be active participants in this battle against e-fraud, adding that building consumer awareness and promoting digital literacy is crucial to empowering individuals to protect themselves.
“Telecom operators should educate their customers about potential risks, provide guidance on secure online practices, and offer user-friendly tools to monitor and manage their accounts. Regular communication with customers, promptly addressing their concerns, and providing timely updates on security issues are vital in establishing trust.
“To build consumer confidence in the Digital Economy, we must emphasize transparency and accountability. Telecom operators should be transparent about their security measures, privacy policies, and incident response mechanisms. Collaboration with third-party security firms and independent audits can also help validate the integrity of telecom platforms,” he said.
Danbatta opined that fostering innovation in security technologies is critical to staying ahead of e-fraudsters, pointing out that advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics can enable the detection of anomalous behaviours, identify potential threats, and respond swiftly to emerging fraud trends.
He said that collaboration between academia, industry, and research institutions can drive innovation in cybersecurity and produce effective countermeasures against e-fraud, adding that combatting e-fraud on telecom platforms and building consumer confidence in the digital economy requires a collective effort involving the collaboration of telecom operators, regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, and consumers.
He tasked stakeholders in the telecommunication industry to rise to the challenge and build a future where the telecom platform is not only a gateway to the digital world but also a fortress against e-fraud.