Depositors risk losing N150bn to cyber criminals

The National Information Technology Development Agency  (NITDA), has revealed that about N150 billion belonging to bank depositors will be lost to cyber criminals if they eventually carry out their plan to launch a massive robbery attack on the country this year.

The nation’s IT regulator had earlier raised the alarm of an impending cyber-attack on banks and some other key establishments in the country.

Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, NITDA’s director general, in a statement said the agency intercepted plans by hackers to wreak havoc which could make its financial institutions lose billions of naira to the cyber heist.

But according to NITDA, the banks are not the only targeted institution. Pantami said the cyber criminals or hackers are also targeting health institutions and other government agencies. And it could be very soon or anytime within the year.

He however said the agency was already working to counter the hackers. He also added that there was need for all stakeholders to take urgent and solid precautionary measures.

Dr. Pantami said the agency’s Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team, CERRT, in conjunction with other industry stakeholders had already intercepted the plans by the hackers.