The
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has given nod to some four Information and Communication Technology (ICT) security and
systems infrastructure upgrade projects by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),
reports ITRealms.
This
was confirmed by the agency in a press statement made available to ITRealms, and endorsed by the Head,
Corporate Affairs and External Relations at NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar, quoted the
Director-General, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, as saying they have cleared a
number of ICT Security and Systems Infrastructure Upgrade projects of the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its commitment as the government’s clearinghouse
for all IT procurement and services in the public sector.
ITRealms gathered that the projects
cleared include:
"1.
Enterprise
Network Security – Gateway Security Project, aimed at upgrading the Bank’s
network security appliances and ensures that network security appliances are
highly available and provides comprehensive real-time protection against
advanced threats.
2.
The Intelligence
Security Operations Center project that is aimed at providing a dedicated
center, technology and team for continuous monitoring of the Bank's network to
prevent, detect and deal with Cyber-attacks.
3. Implementation of a Network Access Control (NAC) Solution – a security
approach designed to restrict the availability of network resources to endpoint
devices – aimed at enhancing infrastructure security as well as limit potential
effects from emerging security threats.
4. The Identity and
Access Management Solution project aimed at ensuring that the right individuals
access the right resources/applications at the right times and for the right
reasons."
Also,
ITRealms gathered that Pantami in the
clearance letter, commended the Bank for the proactive manner in handling these
threats and reiterated NITDA’s continued support for all initiatives aimed at
ensuring that the country’s cyberspace is safe and secure.
Chuks Egbune with Doris Minimah/GEE
This is a good move by the CBN, quite proactive indeed. With the huge biometric data it has so far gathered from the BVN project, upgrading its enterprise ICT security infrastructure is a smart move to ensure information confidentiality, data integrity and systems availability. It is also another positive score for NITDA.
ReplyDeleteOther agencies of governments are encouraged to emulate CBN and upgrade their network security architecture without delay to avoid embarrassing cyber attacks. The effects of cyber attacks on corporate entities are enormous including financial loss, costly litigations, insurance claims, reputational damage, and human fatalities.
Kenneth Okereafor, PhD
(nitelken@yahoo.com)