By Clare Nwaiwu
Worried about the volume of losses from internet fraud, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said it is working out a risk Based Cyber Security framework to ensure a fraud free internet transaction for banks and payment service providers in the country.
The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, made this known Thursday at the 2018 Nigeria-JP Morgan Chase Cyber Security Conference, where he said the framework would ensure the right cyber security of data in Nigeria’s banking system.
According to the 2017 Nigeria Cyber Security Report, a whooping N127 billion was lost yearly due to cybercrimes.
Emefiele, who was represented by the Deputy-Governor, Financial System Stability, Mrs Aisha Ahmad, said the CBN is committed to strengthening the regulatory and supervisory framework for cyber risk in the country.
“Technology has transformed the way we learn, communicate, deliver services, conduct financial transactions and even experience entertainment.
“However, these new conveniences of modern technology have ushered in complex security challenges and cybercrime.
[penci_blockquote style=”style-2″ align=”none” author=””]“A recent study by the IMF estimated global annual losses from cyber-attacks to be close to nine per cent of banks’ net income or around 100 billion dollars,” he said.[/penci_blockquote]
“These range from identity and intellectual property theft, phishing, email spamming, virus dissemination to sophisticated hacking and theft by digital crime syndicates.
“A recent study by the IMF estimated global annual losses from cyber-attacks to be close to nine per cent of banks’ net income or around 100 billion dollars,” he said.
Emefiele reiterated the CBN’s commitment to strengthening the regulatory and supervisory framework for cyber risk in the country.
The CBN Director, Information and Communication Technology Department, Mr. John Ayoh, said that the CBN had a strong cyber-security model in place to protect its systems against attacks.
He pointed out that the CBN had improved its technology expertise to ensure that computers and other devices used by its staff could not be easily hacked.
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He further stated that the payment system, particularly the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, had also been reviewed to ensure security of the financial system.
The Managing Director of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Mr. Folashodun Shonubi, in his remarks, assured Nigerians of the safety of the electronic payment system in Nigeria.
“Looking at the likelihood of fraud, it is actually lower if you use electronic means for transactions and payments.
“lmagine you are in a bus and someone took your wallet, it’s almost impossible to identify the culprit.
“However, if it’s your ATM card, every transaction made with the card can be traced which can lead to the arrest of the culprit,” he said.