WELCOME TO ALL CYBERCRIME STAKEHOLDERS AND CHAMPIONS

POSTPONEMENT

The Senate Worhshop on Cybercrime earlier scheduled for February 11,2010, has been postponed! The one day  event organised by the Senate Committees on Communications is postponed due to considerations on critical  national issues involving the Senate in  the last few weeks. A new date will be announced shortly. Any inconvenience  to  all our Resource persons invited special Guests and accredited participants is deeply regretted. NEW DATE WILL BE ANOUNCED SHORTLY. 

Thank you.

Organisers.

I welcome you as part of the national Team of Champions desirous to engage, combat and find lasting solutions to the menace of Cybercrime in our nation.

As the menace of Cybercrime and Cybersecurity continues to hunt the world and targeting national economies, many countries have begun to establish formidable strategies to combat the menace. In line with the above trend the Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria – through it’s the Senate Committee on Communication - has invigorated its machinery to update its Cybercrime and Cybersecurity strategies and resolved to ensure that Nigeria becomes a Cybercrime free Zone.

Inline with the above, the Senate Committee on Communication has finalized actions to address the challenges of Cybercrime and Cybersecurity through a National Workshop on Cybercrime prevention and control; now confirmed to hold on Thursday, February 11, 2010, at the International conference Centre Abuja. The Workshop is organized in collaboration with the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC).

In my capacity as the Chairman Senate Committee on Communication, I now invite you to join forces with other stakeholders to resolve the complex issue and perhaps one of the greatest challenge currently facing the global community of nations. Nigeria with about 95% of her ICT Infrastructure built on wireless Model can be classified as highly vernurable to the emerging menace of Cybercrime and Cybersecurity and the Senate is prepared to ensure that the Nation does not become a hostage to Cybercrime at all levels.

I am aware that the central concern of many Nigerians Cyberspace Stakeholders boarders on what is our government doing with respect to Cyber Crime and Cyber security? Is Nigeria venerable to Cybersecurity? What is the current impact of Cybersecurity on our Nation? And finally, what consequences awaits our nation within the context of inaction to address the issue of Cybersecurity as a National emergency? How big is the Cybersecurity issues in Nigeria and how much must government budget to protect her IT and Digital related investments – especially those on ‘Critical National Information Infrastructure’?

This is why a National workshop on Cybercrime preventions and control has become a time-critical assignment and indeed a strategic imperative – aimed at addressing the critical and emerging challenges in the Nation’s Cyberspace. The upcoming workshop is indeed an International workshop and the core objective amongst others is to register Nigeria’s concern and readiness in combating the menace of Cybercrime, correct the wrong impression that Nigeria is an oasis for Cybercrime and demand that the country be de-listed from the Cyber-Terrorism list of the United States.

The Theme of the Workshop is: “Cybercrime as a National Emergency: Evolving Policy Strategies and Legal Framework for the Protection of Wireless Economy.”  The workshop is expected to attract a sizable and distinguished number of core Stakeholders and participants across the country and from the ECOWAS sub-region. The Workshop objectives will embrace and incorporate the following:

1. To establish a Roadmap for a National Policy Framework on Cybercrime
2. To sanitize the negative impact of Cybercrime and economy damages to the Nigerian Nation.
3. To establish the responsive instruments as the mechanism for legislation and legal Framework for National Cybercrime prevention and control.
4. To identify commensurate policy requirements, standards, needs and incentives for compliance on Guidelines for protecting National Critical Information Infrastructure such as ATM in Bank, Base Stations, Networks and other related infrastructure.

The highlight of the National Workshop is as follows:

Workshop Venue: International conference Centre, Abuja.

Invitation Status: By Special Invitation.

Date is Thursday February 11, 2010 commencing at 9.30am.

Chief Guest of Honour: His Excellency, Alhaji Umar Musa Yar’adua (GCFR), President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Special Guest of Honour: His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan(GCON) Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Chief Host: His Excellency, Senator David Mark,  Senate President;

Host: Distinguished Senator S.N. Anyanwu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Communication;

Guest of Honour:  Prof. (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, Hon. Minister of Information and Communication

Co-Host: Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice- Chairman,  Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC)

Invited Speakers are expected from FCC Washington DC., ITU Geneva, ICT Group from South Africa, Captains of ICT Champions from the Banking and Financial Sector, Oil & Gas,  Government Policy Makers, Telecommunications,  ICT Professional and Experts and core Stakeholders group from Nigeria.

I urge you to register now to qualify as one of the special invited participants to the workshop. Let us find lasting solutions to Cybercrime by establishing a Framework as preventive and control tool for our nation. The ultimate aim is to ensure that our Cyberspace will witness a dramatic reduction of threats and vulnerability. Join us to develop a national master plan for digital emergency and disaster recovery from failed computer network operations at all levels. Be part of the process to enhance Nigeria’s information assurance and protect our critical information and communications infrastructure.

EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE WORKSHOP

Expectations from the Workshop include, but not limited to the following:

• Convene a National Workshop on Preventing Cybercrime and Cyber-Terrorism: Convene a National Workshop in February 11, 2010 (and regularly thereafter) of le aders of Permanent Members of the National Assembly, Security Council and other key Policy Makers to agree on preventing Cybercrime,
• Establish National Policy, Strategies and Legislation on Cybercrime and Cybersecurity to resolve the following:
• Upgrade the nation’s critical information infrastructure: Ensure that information assurance for national survivability is enhance by upgrading and interfacing our wireless economy with robust Fiber Optic ICT Infrastructure.
• Empower Local Software Developers to take control of Nigeria’s electronic-digital Content at all significant levels.
• Collaborate with International Cybercrime Institutions: Ensure that Nigeria collaborates with other nations to resolve the challenges of Cybercrime for global peace.
• Set the Goal for a Cybercrime-Free Nigeria: Show the world that Nigeria believes in its existing commitment under the International Cybercrime  Forum to collaborate and work to ultimately eliminate all Cybercrime. and Cyber-terrorism act.
• Work with other nations to Increase Warning and Decision Time on Cybercrime and Terrorism: Work with America to end dangerous Cybercrime through policies and strategies.
• Prevent Bio-terror Attacks: Strengthen Nigeria. intelligence collection overseas to identify and interdict intended bio-terrorists before they strike.
• Build Cybercrime and cybersecurity Capacity to Mitigate the Consequences of Cyber Attacks: Engage ICT Professional and security experts  to develop solutions that ensures that decision-makers have the information and communication tools they need to manage their day-to-day operations.
• Protect Our Information Network Infrastructure
• Ensure that we build a trustworthy and accountable cyber infrastructure that is resilient, protects Nigeria's competitive advantage, and advances our national security.
• Strengthen Public and Private Sector Leadership on Cyber Security: Development of national cyber policy. Declare the cyber infrastructure a strategic asset and establish functional legislation on cyberspace and relates activities.
• Initiate a Safe Computing R&D Effort and make our Nation's Cyber Infrastructure Robust: Support an initiative to develop next-generation secure computers and networking for national security applications. Work with industry and academia to develop and deploy a new generation of secure hardware and software for our critical cyber infrastructure.
• Protect the National IT Infrastructure That Keeps Nigeria's Economy Safe: Work with the private sector to establish tough and new standards for Cybercrime, Cybersecurity and Information Assurance on our critical information infrastructure.
• Prevent Corporate Cyber-Espionage: Work with industry to develop the systems necessary to protect our nation's trade secrets and our research and development. Innovations in software, engineering,.
• Develop a Cyber Crime Strategy to Minimize the Opportunities for Criminal Profit: Shut down the mechanisms used for pornographic business and those applied for transmitting criminal profits by shutting down untraceable Internet payment schemes. Initiate a grant and training program to provide federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies the tools they need to detect and prosecute cyber crime.
• Set Appropriate Standards and Guidelines for Securing Personal Data and mandate Companies to Disclose Personal Information Data Breaches: Partner with industry and our citizens to secure personal data stored on government and private systems. Institute a common standard for securing such data across industries and protect the rights of individuals in the information age.

Thank you.

Senator Sylvester N. Anyawu

Chairman Senate Committee on Communication