| Nigeria will be fifty years old in few months. Since | | | | military notes; now, the digital spies could |
| the time of our independence, the world has been | | | | download an entire library of military strategy. |
| redesigned as a result of technological | | | | Arguably, many will argue that Nigeria does not |
| advancements. We have fought wars, both at | | | | have many digital assets to be overly cautious. I |
| home and abroad and our soldiers have made | | | | disagree; the threat is not just on digital assets, |
| sacrifices. Nigeria remains a republic despite | | | | but all aspects of the economy. Foreign |
| constant agitations for segregations from most of | | | | contractors can rig our networks and understand |
| the entities that make up Nigeria. | | | | what other nations are bidding on national |
| We are used to the crises of machetes and | | | | contracts, especially military ones. They can |
| bullets. Unfortunately, the future threats to the | | | | access our military roadmap and infiltrate to stay |
| peace and prosperity of Nigeria will not come | | | | ahead of our strategies. |
| from either. There is a new war evolving in the | | | | Let us take a scenario where Nigeria military goes |
| world. It is not fought on the land, sea, air or | | | | into a meeting to discuss contracts with China. A |
| even in the physical space. It is war of the fifth | | | | Chinese engineer hands over an infected file to |
| domain: the cyberspace. Yes, warfare perpetrated | | | | our generals; through that file they can keep tap |
| through clusters of computer networks which | | | | of all the future developments on that project. |
| have linked the world in mutually dependent | | | | Even a common sharing of the same network |
| interrelationships of people, firms and nations. | | | | during that meeting can expose our military to |
| Cyberwar is not a war of choice. It will come to | | | | unprecedented danger. If they rig into that |
| you even if you do not want it. Just as computer | | | | network by us giving them access, they can |
| virus attacks our computers, this warfare is | | | | penetrate and have all the information they need |
| waged at national level with consequences that | | | | about that project. |
| can shut down a military control, financial | | | | Take another scenario. You import those |
| systems, health informatics, and | | | | microchips from China and they have them |
| telecommunication networks. It is something that | | | | designed to gather intelligence for them. This is |
| the nation cannot afford to waste time to | | | | why it is very important that Nigeria develops its |
| develop a coherent strategy for. | | | | capability because the future wars will be fought |
| Though we have failed to use technology or | | | | differently. We need to become aware of these |
| strong regulation to solve the embarrassment | | | | risks and develop mitigation strategies. |
| caused by the Nigerian web fraudsters, in this | | | | Recently, the Chinese built the world's second |
| particular case, failure is not an option. | | | | fastest supercomputer, primary to avoid the use |
| The world has nuclear non- proliferation treaty, | | | | of IBM machines for military research. They |
| but none exists for cyberwar despite the potential | | | | remain suspicious that using a machine from |
| economic dangers the latter poses to world | | | | another country is a violation of national security |
| commerce. Accordingly, many nations have | | | | code. When will Nigeria understand that our |
| started to deploy strategic commands to protect, | | | | continuous lack of progress on emerging |
| defend and necessarily retaliate when their | | | | technology will digitally enslaved us for decades? |
| systems are attacked through cyber-means. The | | | | How can our government understand that our |
| United States Pentagon has the Cyber Command | | | | lack of efforts on nanotechnology, biotechnology |
| inside the National Security Agency, the British has | | | | and microelectronics could potential destroy the |
| a similar unit inside the GCHQ. China, Iran, Russia, | | | | foundation of our young democracy? |
| Israel, and many other nations have developed | | | | The cyberwar is real and it is already taking place |
| cyber-army to protect their economies. | | | | in the world. The first Web War 1 was fought in |
| What is basically the threat of cyberwar? It has | | | | Estonia where series of orchestrated attacks on |
| been proven that people could remotely rewire | | | | Estonian digital infrastructure forced the |
| networks logically and trigger avalanche of | | | | government to decouple the nation from Internet. |
| problems that can bring a nation's economy to | | | | In other words, both government and business |
| standstill. They plant logic bombs which on | | | | websites were brought down. That was followed |
| 'explosion' brings enormous damages to | | | | in Georgia during its brief hostility with Russia. |
| companies and private citizens. They could | | | | Again, its websites were brought down and even |
| penetrate our oil installations, bank servers, | | | | the President website had to be moved to a |
| electric grids, air-traffic controls, GSM networks, | | | | secure server in the United States. |
| and military commands. We suddenly find out that | | | | This brings the major question. How will Nigeria |
| nothing works in the land and all networks are | | | | function if another country launches a web war |
| broken. | | | | on our nation? One will hope that our military has |
| This is perhaps the most drawbacks of computer | | | | already developed a strategy since I guess most |
| networks- the ability to wage war through bits | | | | of these activities are classified. But if we do not |
| and bytes instead of the old fashioned way of | | | | have a plan, this is the time to develop a cyber |
| firing bullets where the identities of the invaders | | | | security and warfare roadmap that will ensure |
| are known. In cyberwar, the attackers could | | | | that our national prosperity is secured. |
| mask themselves and may even use your rigged | | | | It is important to understand that this is not an |
| networks to attack you. It is also important to | | | | ICT problem. This is a serious engineering problem |
| understand that the world 'computer' has since | | | | that goes beyond the digital bits to the transistors |
| evolved. There are pills, watches, shoes, bags, | | | | that power the microchips upon which the ICT |
| cellphones that are indeed computers. And most | | | | depends. Nothing is safe; a light bulb in the |
| systems are on networks with IPs assigned to | | | | Presidency can be a listening device, and that |
| them. | | | | Flash USB key our soldiers use on their laptops |
| Recently, our Information Minister, Prof Dora | | | | while connected to our military networks could be |
| Akunyili, in a speech in Amsterdam explained | | | | the source of intrusion. Linking those power |
| Nigeria's readiness on ICT through expansion of | | | | systems to the web for remote monitoring by |
| our fiber-optic networks and satellites. What are | | | | German vendors could open them to |
| the efforts the government is putting in place to | | | | cyber-threats. |
| secure these networks from cyberwar? It is | | | | People, it is a new world and we must understand |
| about the weakest link and nations like US, UK | | | | these challenges and convene meetings of |
| and Canada could be worried that Africa will | | | | stakeholders to develop plans immediately. It could |
| become the easiest spot to launch attacks | | | | be a workshop where we bring our brightest |
| because our systems are not protected well | | | | minds on engineering and security and connect |
| enough. | | | | them to work with our military. Iran has boasted |
| In the old warfare, people were trained to | | | | of having the world's second-largest cyber-army |
| become spies or soldiers with enormous risks. But | | | | while China is determined of "winning |
| now, all they have to do is use a computer to | | | | informationised wars by the mid-21st century". |
| launch their strikes to vulnerable nations. If we | | | | And Nigeria must prepare and push African Union |
| deny the severity of these threats, we will have | | | | to develop a Cyber Control Command for Africa |
| ourselves to blame. It used to be copies of | | | | or better still develop its own. |