UK, KPMG launch tool for SMEs to tackle cyberattacks

The UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in partnership with KPMG and Cybersafe Foundation has launched Cybersecurity Toolkit for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria.

The project, which was executed through the UK Digital Access Programme, was designed to equip SMEs with free trusted tools against the scourge of cyberattacks/risks.

Supreme reports that the Cybersecurity Toolkit which was designed to grant secure digital access to SMEs in Nigeria was launched on Tuesday in Lagos.

Speaking at the launch, the keynote speaker, Mr Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser, said that cyber threats had impacted negatively on every part of human life.

Monguno was represented at the event by Dr Bala Fakandu, the Deputy Adviser of Communications, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

He added that evolving cyber threats had created barriers to growth in commerce.

Monguno observed that the development had placed a negative impact on the country's critical infrastructure.

He said that SMEs were not spared in this challenge due to their reliability on Internet and digital devices to reach larger population.

According to him, the predominant of these threats are email phishing, malware attacks, ransomware and general threats to business image.

He said a report from UK company shows that phishing accounted for more than 90 per cent breaches affecting SMEs.

Monguno added that phishing accounted for huge business losses, which underscored the urgent need to protect SMEs from cyber attacks.

He noted that ONSA had created roadmap in addressing the emerging trends in cybersecurity and enhancing progress in the use of cyber space.

Monguno said that ONSA had developed national digital forensic laboratory to facilitate the digital evidence of cyber crimes investigation.

Also speaking, Mr Ben Llewellyn-Jone, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, said that digital access programme was an essential tool designed to provide sustainability to 100 million SMEs in Nigeria.

Llewellyn-Jone said UK Govt. in partnership with KPMG would deliver support to Nigerians on multiple areas such as digital forensics, critical infrastructure and private support through SME Cybersecurity toolkit.

"We recognise the power of digital economy to deliver the objective of sustainable development goals," he said.

The Senior Associate, Cyber and Privacy, KPMG, Mrs Adedayo Adeniji, said that the toolkit was free resource that SMEs could use to test their responses to cyber threats and protect their businesses online.

She explained that the toolkit contained tool boxes with different functionality that protect SMEs from phishing malware, defence update, file backups and recovery, password security, SMEs email and reputation protection, among others.

The Executive Director, Cybersafe foundation, Mrs Confidence Staveley, said that managing password correctly was the key to the cyber hygiene.

Staveley noted that strong, unique password and two-factor authentication on each account should be adopted to ensure safety.

She added that the intent of phishing email on internet was to trick people into believing that they were dealing with a trustworthy entity so that sensitive information or access to money could be obtained by the cyber criminals.

Supreme reports that the SMEs Cybersecurity toolkit could be downloaded freely online through the link https://gcatoolkit.org/small-business-dapnigeria/