KPMG advocates safe, resilient cyber space

Nigeria among countries with high cases of software piracy
Propelled by the need to increase awareness and the development of cyber security strategies in Nigeria, and Africa, an audit firm, KPMG, is organising a Pan-African Cyber Security conference, tagged: ‘Security and Resilience in a Digital World’.

The conference, scheduled for May 4th, at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, will bring together stakeholders across Africa, to discuss cyber security and resilience as they affect organisations, government, entities and individuals.

Global tracking of cyber attacks have indicated that Nigeria is among countries with high cases of software piracy, intellectual property theft, and malware attacks, which call for an urgent need for a secured cyber space in the country.

Indeed, many organisations have begun to see that their investment in sophisticated technical solutions does not fully translate to adequate protection from cyber attacks.

The development presents a serious challenge to the resolve to take advantage of the enormous opportunities inherent in the Internet, while balancing and managing its associated risks.

In order to tackle this menace, experts have stressed the need for a safe, able and resilient cyberspace. They acknowledged that Nigeria lacked deep skills in the areas of cyber protection, detection, and response, which is a major scare for the country to move forward even as the digital space continues to grow exponentially.

At a press conference held at KPMG head office in Lagos, Partner and Head, Technology Advisory, Joseph Tegbe, warned that cyber security should be not be toyed with since most businesses are dependent on technology.

Tegbe, who defined cyber risk as financial losses and damages arising from failure in technological systems, said the conference aims to enlighten participants on leading practices and solutions for individuals and organisations, towards building a more secure and resilient cyber ecosystem as Africa goes digital.

He said: “With all the connected devices we all carry about daily, the world has gone digital. Our lives, economic vitality, national security, etc. now revolve around technology.

“This dependence on technology comes with a whole new set of threats, risks and dangers to individuals, businesses and the society at large. Attacks on computer networks are on the rise, we need a safe, stable and resilient cyberspace.”

Explaining the objective of the conference, Tegbe said: “At KPMG, we want to be the front runner in terms of creating awareness, helping our clients put cyber security issues as board issue and not a technology operational issue.”

Corroborating, the Partner and Head, Risk Consulting, Olumide Olayinka, said the conference would attract a variety of top level participants from across various sectors; including financial services institutions, energy, telecommunications, and manufacturing.

He noted that the conference would also feature keynote speeches by subject matter experts, panel sessions featuring KPMG and industry thought leaders, demo sessions by top security solutions companies and networking opportunities.