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Telecommunications industry

Nigerian Communications Commission Develops Cybersecurity Framework to Safeguard Telecoms Networks

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), driven by concerns over rising hacking rates, ransomware attacks, and spam messages, is set to release a comprehensive cybersecurity framework for the telecoms industry. The framework aims to implement minimum standards for cybersecurity, ensuring fewer hack attempts, reduced spam messages, and decreased ransomware cases. This initiative follows the engagement of top firms, KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), to study data depletion across networks, indicating a proactive approach to address consumer data concerns.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NCC is releasing a cybersecurity framework to address digital challenges in the telecoms industry, with a focus on implementing minimum standards for cybersecurity.
  • The framework will mandate a baseline of standards for operators to comply with, providing a more secure network and reducing hack attempts, spam messages, and ransomware cases.
  • Fast data depletion is a major concern, revealed to be primarily caused by consumers' digital lifestyles, including excessive data consumption from TikTok, WhatsApp, and YouTube.
  • The study suggests that fibre connectivity is a more cost-effective and efficient solution for high-speed internet, rather than relying on mobile data alone.
  • The NCC is conducting a study on wholesale pricing for backbone networks to enable smaller operators to access backbone networks and transmit capacity to households and businesses at affordable rates.

Statistics:

  • 90,000 kilometres of fibre will be laid across the country as part of the federal government's connectivity project, complementing the existing 30,000 kilometres of fibre.
  • Fast data depletion is a result of the digital lifestyle of consumers, with studies indicating that TikTok, WhatsApp, and YouTube consumption are significant contributors to data usage.
  • Mobile data consumption can be excessive, with background backups, unused apps, and high-definition screens consuming significant amounts of data without consumers' knowledge.

Sources:

  • [Lagos Panther News] "NCC to unveil cybersecurity framework as hack rate increases – NCC"
  • [Lagos Business Times] "NCC identifies causes of fast data depletion in Nigeria"
  • [Nigerian Business] "NCC to launch cyber security framework to mitigate attacks"
  • [Federal Government of Nigeria] " Fibre Connectivity Project"

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