Internet increases security threats – Obi

INCREASE in the acceptance of Internet nowadays, has brought about increased security threats in the 21st century society, according to the immediate past president of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Dr. Gabriel Obi.

He also lamented lack of manpower to contend with this and warned on the security implication of patronizing Commercial-off the (COT) shelf software vendors.

He gave this caution at the third annual convention of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) in Lagos, on security.

Dr. Obi defined security as a very vague field that cuts across network security, data security and national security.

“We need to be very careful,” he declared, warning that if the youth are not guided aright, it could jeopardize the future security in the Information Society.

He equally warned that if the system is allowed to be on the hands of COTs, the system would be put at risk.

Dr. Obi also said that most products from these software vendors usually become obsolete in matter of two to three years after introduction of any of their products.

Security consciousness, he said, needs to be inculcated into the system, especially for the youths, because it’s the new paradigm.

He noted that most of the time, security issues are exacerbated, when it affects content infrastructure based on confidentiality, integrity and availability.

According to him, Internet as a major tool for communications has introduced an era of survivability on the systems.

The new paradigm in security, Dr. Obi said, centers on the systems being unbounded, not visible to the administrator and having no central administration control.

Fortress model, Dr. Obi, who was a former director at the First Bank Plc, pointed out, must not be made to be responsive.

Stressing that in security, survivability entails recognition and resistance, pointing out that increased acceptance of Internet has adjusted the number of security threats upwards, yet the personnel are not there to contend this increase, especially in developing country like Nigeria.

He, therefore, enjoined the youths to grab this opportunity to becoming technology security experts with two hands.

“We can’t be competitive if we’re not creative,” he asserted.