HACKERS ARE HERE, ARE YOU READY!!!!

Nov 19, 2009

Network/Data security in Nigeria is a very big problem in Nigeria and it’s a very big issue to talk about. The network in Nigeria is a place of all possibilities and very vulnerable to intruders.

For example, it’s a place one could clone ATM cards of others and use without being caught, it’s a place I could do website phishing and get away with it, a place I could use other people’s internet services and steal their data and even data of their clients without being noticed, it’s a network I could ride on other people’s back and use their phone applications and even make calls using their units via Bluetooth connection and I cannot be traced, a place I could make online transfers from others’ bank accounts into mine and leave no traces, this same country I could make all airline schedules jam and there won’t be any airline to fly for days, this same place I could change all financial institutions (online banking) and e-commerce websites into pornographic sites and all will be shocked because we are leaving in a country where everything is possible.

These are the words of a CERTIFIED ETHICAL HACKER, COMPUTER HACKING FORENSICS INVESTIGATOR, NETWORK SECURITY ANALYST AND LICENSED PENETRATION TESTER living in Nigeria.

Others will say even the advanced countries too face the same problems but it’s only reduced and people can be traced easily because foreign countries have certified Network Security Analysts working with the government and other agencies to curb cyber terrorism and cyber crime. It’s a pity in Nigeria we have just 1 (ONE) Licensed Penetration Tester and he’s not even being recognized because the society doesn’t see any reason for that yet.

Maybe because we’ve not heard or seen a mega cybercrime or cyber war like the one that happened between the USA and North/South Korea some months ago that affected even the White House and other e-commerce sites in the US.

Hackers don’t care what kind of business you are into; they just want to use your computer. If your data is altered or stolen, a company may risk losing credibility and the trust of their customers. Businesses most at risk, I would say, are those handling online financial transactions. We are all happy we are going online and the country is developing but have we ever sat down to think about the risks behind our development technically. I know so many of us that are certified in Nigeria as ethical hackers who could do all these exploits and know our weak points and penetrate into any kind of networks and make fast money. But I believe every one of us still follow the strict code of conduct being given as an ethical hacker.
We are told that phishers and spammers harvest money at will from the online population. Even those without skills can buy what they need and sell what they produce on hacking forums. Estimates of the size of this underground economy vary, but common to most accounts is that it is large and growing rapidly.
In a careful examination of the evidence, we find that these claims are speculations, unsupported by evidence. Estimates of the cybercrime economy are enormous extrapolations from very noisy and poorly-sourced data. Reports that exploits like phishing and spam are worth billions appear to be off by orders of magnitude. Our analysis suggests that the laws of economics have not been suspended. Phishing and spam are subject to the tragedy of the commons so that returns are kept low. Hacking forums are infested with rippers so that buying and selling is hard.

Cybercrime is a ruthlessly competitive business and low-skill jobs still pay like low skill jobs. Much as in the regular economy, to do well you need a rare skill or a barrier to entry.

However cybercrime is still a very big deal. The externalities (indirect costs) are far larger than the direct losses. For example, unskilled phishers still causes significant economic damage, even if he doesn’t gain much. The direct costs and externalities are often borne by different parties, leading to misaligned incentives. Ironically, defenders (i.e. the white hat security community) energetically recruit their own opponents: by promoting the easy money mantra they ensure a steady supply of new entrants.

If we are planning to reduce cyber crime in the country, we’ll need to work with the certified security experts so as to trace and track all online attacks and frauds.
A company (Cybaron Networks INC.) is working on bringing Network Security Experts together early next year (2009) in a conference/seminar to see how they can work together on the issue of cyber terrorism/cyber war and cyber crime.
Experts are to come around and save the country from cyber threats. Because HACKERS ARE HERE, ARE YOU READY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.