FG establishes security, data centre to tackle cyber threats on digital infrastructures

The federal government has established a fortified security data centre to tackle emerging cyber threats on digital infrastructures in Nigeria.

The Managing Director, Galaxy Backbone Limited, Prof Muhammed Bello Abubakar, stated this while speaking with journalists after President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the National Shared Service Centre, NSSC, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He stated that the agency completed the project with 99 per cent of the country’s internally generated revenue.

He added that the centre would protect all government digital data from cyber-attacks and foster adequate data storage.

Mohammed said the centre is imperative as all government agencies, parastatals, and ministries are digital.

According to him, today’s 4th Industrial-Revolution world of rapid changes is driven by ubiquitous connectivity to the cyber world and advanced digital technologies.

“As the Minister (of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami) said, the entire building was 99% funded by Galaxy Backbone Limited’s internally generated revenue. There was no intervention from anywhere. And the remaining 1 per cent is the provision of some equipment.

“We have a security operation centre inside the newly commissioned National Share Services Centre built mainly to curb cyber threats. We have seen the number of emails coming into Galaxy’s network and other government agencies. You also have some of the equipment and devices we have put in place to ensure that those emails do not threaten the government’s system. About 90 per cent of the emails coming to the galaxy network were spam, and 10% were real mail. Users will not have a problem dealing with the mail because they have already been sieved out.

“When we factor in the enormous capacity for Data Hosting, Collocation, and Cloud Computing which the edifice being commissioned brings on board, Nigeria is certainly becoming well-placed to take its pride of place in the emerging digital world,” he stated.