The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) issued a warning about the operations of a hacktivist organization targeting Nigeria’s critical digital infrastructure.
In a recent press release, the agency’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) uncovered a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack on the nation’s critical information infrastructure.
The press release, issued by Mrs Hadiza Umar, the head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations, highlights the need of addressing this potential cyber danger. NITDA has advised the public to recognize that cyberattacks are a current threat that is much closer than previously recognized.
https://twitter.com/NITDANigeria/status/1686772565367291904?t=F302vg9rGR_hd6gqqahV4Q&s=19
The hacktivist group’s tactics involve targeted assaults on government digital services, with a particular focus on DDoS attacks. Their successful track record in various countries underscores the severity of the situation. Such cyberattacks have severe consequences, including the disruption of key services, economic losses, erosion of public trust, and reputational damage.
NITDA’s CERRT has offered thorough instructions for guarding against DDoS attacks in order to fight these dangers. It is highly recommended that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies put precautions in place to stop such attacks, as well as vital service providers across the nation.
NITDA also underlines the significance of implementing strong cybersecurity measures. Implementing DDoS protection features, applications, or services such as rate limiting, load balancing, traffic filtering, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) fall under this category.
The agency emphasises the value of having several backup internet connections and configuring network gear to block attack vectors such as incoming ICMP packets or external DNS responses.
NITDA additionally highlights the need to upgrade important national infrastructure.
It is critical that enterprises offering financial services, telecommunications, and pertinent government services maintain cybersecurity readiness and resilience. These organisations may better protect themselves from possible cyber threats and fortify the country’s digital defences by putting into place necessary cybersecurity measures.
Nigeria is under increasing cyber danger from this hacktivist group, and NITDA’s proactive approach and thorough suggestions are a call to action for all sectors to work together to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity environment. The agency’s emphasis on awareness, readiness, and engagement highlights the need for everyone to take responsibility for protecting Nigeria’s digital future.
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