NITDA includes DNSSEC as part of assessment criteria

Nigeria has directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately implement a new set of cybersecurity measures aimed at safeguarding government digital infrastructure.

The directive, issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)underscores growing concerns over the rising frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks targeting public institutions and critical national assets.

NITDA noted that the new framework introduces stricter authentication protocols, enhanced monitoring systems, and mandatory compliance checks across MDAs.

The move is part of a broader national strategy to strengthen resilience against cyber threats, protect sensitive data, and ensure uninterrupted delivery of public services in an increasingly digital governance environment.

Specifically, NITDA said MDAs should implement the DNS Security (DNSSEC) architecture. The Agency said this would form part of its cybersecurity assessment protocol.

Speaking at the Cybersecurity Awareness Webinar yesterday, themed “Securing Nigeria’s Digital Foundation: DNSSEC, the .ng Domain, and the Future of National Cyber Resilience”, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, emphasised the need to firmly implement DNS security as part of infrastructure architecture to ensure the safety of domain names, and further give the Nigerian resource a global footing.

Speaking at the webinar organised by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) through its .ng Academy as part of events commemorating the Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the NITDA DG, represented by a senior official from the Agency, Oluwasegun Falayan, noted that DNSSEC was a necessity, and it was important for stakeholders to tackle issues that are related to DNSSEC, as much as NITDA must also provide an avenue for DNSSEC to thrive.

Earlier, NiRA President, Adesola Akinsanya, emphasised the need to prioritise the quality and security of domain names over the number of domain names registered.