Nigeria’s lack of a position on zero rating and which has left some mobile companies to currently improvise is an emerging digital apartheid, Mallam Yunusa Y’au, the Executive Director of the Kano based Centre for Information Technology and Development, (CITAD) has said. He is subsequently drawing the attention to the need for activists to respond to the development. Speaking as a lead facilitator at an Internet Safety and Security workshop at the centre, Mallam Y’au has equally told a set of 55 persons spanning journalists, civil society activists, teachers and leaders of student for peace clubs of CITAD in tertiary institutions of the necessity to raise awareness about internet safety and security as many people were increasingly falling prey to cybercrime through identity and personality theft

Mallam Y Z Y’au, CITAD ED

Over three sessions, three different facilitators took the workshop attendees through several rubrics, beginning with a distinction between the two key concepts of internet safety and internet security.  Facilitator Mallam Y. Z Y’au pointed out how though related and used interchangeably, the two concepts did not mean the same thing. Emphasizing why attendees must be able to navigate that various perils of the now indispensable tool called the internet, the facilitator then took the students through the various points of perils, the consequences of safety and security breach as well as the various dimensions and manifestation of insecurity online. The session also drew attention to privacy issues, including the right to forget, the possible implications of internet of Things to privacy and concluded by looking at emerging issues such as zero rating and net neutrality.

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Abdulganiyyu Rufai and Malam Ahmad A. Yakasai, CITAD’s Programmes Associate and training coordinator respectively, addressed common threats such as viruses, spyware and their consequences; different types of attacks on networks and their countermeasures in relation to confidence, authenticity, integrity and system availability. They implored participants to implement seven regular cyber safety procedures that would protect them, their computers and other persons from many such common threats as regular update of software, running anti-virus always, taking precaution to avoid identity theft and turning on personal firewall protection systems. Engineer Kamal Umar, Technical Officer in CITAD closed the session with demonstrating tips on how to surf the internet safely via a presentation “General online Safety Tips”. Participants called on CITAD to commence a process of mainstream internet safety and security in Nigeria after doing so across its own activities.

Intervention observes that Internet Safety and Security is gradually forming part of the curriculum for professional journalism training in Nigeria. Still commoner outside the formal academic system, the frequency as well as the number of those who have benefited has been rising. The latest of such is the Internet Safety and Security workshop at CITAD.

CITAD Fears Digital Apartheid in Nigeria

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) held the second round of Internet Safety and Security workshop series on Saturday, 2017.  The workshop which held at the NISTF Hall, Kano was attended by 55 people including journalists, civil society activists, teachers and leaders of student for peace clubs of CITAD in tertiary institutions. Explaining the objectives of the workshop, Abdulganiyyu Rufai, Programmes Associate, CITAD said that it had become necessary to raise awareness about internet safety and security as many people were increasingly falling prey to cybercrime through identity and personality theft while many had experienced terrible confidentiality breach.

The workshop was conducted in three sessions. In the first session, entitled University Internet Safety and Security, was facilitated by Y. Z. Ya’u, the Executive Director of CITAD. Started by noting that given that internet had become an indispensable part of our daily life, it was only logical that we insist that governments must accord it a formal recognition as a right. As a right and tool that we use daily, we must be able to navigate that various perils that could put as at risk he added. He observed that often the two are confused because they are related and some use them interchangeably but as they evolved, they are actually used differently. Internet security he said “refers to the protection of the internet as a system-its function, its data base, etc” while Internet safety on the other hand relates to the protection of the individual users from harm. He sees Insecurity itself as a threat to internet safely. He then took the participants through the various points of perils, the consequences of safety and security breach as well as the various dimensions and manifestation of insecurity online. The session also drew attention to privacy issues, including the right to forget, the possible implications of internet of Things to privacy and concluded by looking at emerging issues such as zero rating and net neutrality. He pointed out that Nigeria has no position on zero rating, which currently some mobile companies were providing and activists needed to respond to this emerging digital apartheid.

The second session was on managing cyber-security and privacy issues led by Abdulganiyu Rufai. Mr. Rufai explained some common threats and their consequences such as viruses, spyware, ect. He looked at different types of attacks on networks and their countermeasures. He said such attacks were usually aimed at affecting either one or combination of confidently, authenticity, integrity and system availability. He discussed how these attacks can occur including interruption which affects availability, interception that undermines confidentiality of transactions, modification which leads to lack of system integrity and fabrication that attacks system authenticity. He concluded by imploring participant to implement seven cyber safety procedures that will “protect yourself, others, and your computer from many common threats”. These seven safety measures include regularly update software, running anti-virus always, taking precaution to avoid identity theft, and turning on personal firewalls. The rest were avoiding spyware/adware, protecting passwords and backing up important files

In the final session, Engr Kamal Umar, Technical Officer in CITAD demonstrated various tips on how to surf the internet safely. Talking on the topic “General online Safety Tips”, Engr Umar started by drawing attention of participants to the fact that learning to browse privately, a special feature of most browsers was the foundation of safety online. He demonstrated how they can be done. He also explained the various security features of the browsers which users needed to pay attention to. He advised on installing add-ons that can steer you away from threats and took participants through steps that help in to protecting systems while downloading documents online. He discussed key safety and security assurance features that those doing online shopping should look for. For example he drew attention to the difference between the Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) and the regular Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) as something to look for. He said was also important to look at the website’s Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate which is like a digital ID card that tells you that the website or web page is genuine. He reinforced some of the safety measures discussed earlier such as taking precautions for protecting your computer or mobile device, not conducting overly-private activities when using public Wi-Fi, not allowing other people to use your computer/mobile phone and making sure you format or delete computer/mobile phone content before selling it or giving it as gift. He also gave tips on how to stay safe on social media sites.

At the end of the questions and answers session, a participant recommended that CITAD should mainstream internet safety and security in its regular training programmes. Responding, the Training Coordinator of CITAD, Malam Ahmad A. Yakasai said that the suggestion was taken and that CITAD would look into how to implement it.

The next round of the workshop on internet safety and security will hold in April for government officials. The first workshop in the series which was meant for CITAD staff and associates was held on January 21, 2017.