"They Have Track Record of Successful Attacks": NITDA Raises Alarm Over Hackers Targeting Government

• The technical team of NITDA has discovered hacking attempts on the government’s online services
• According to NITDA, the hackers have a track record of successful attacks in different countries
• Nigerians are however advised to be on the watch for these attacks

The Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has issued a warning after discovering hacking attempts against online services provided by the government.

This information was included in a media alert released on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, by Hadiza Umar, NITDA's Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations.

Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that hackers steal money from over 1,000 Nigerian bank accounts through BVN linked numbers. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) officially verified the arrests of two suspects who are allegedly part of a syndicate involved in the unauthorised access.

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Group targets digital infrastructure

The statement by Umar claims that a hacktivist organisation targeting the National Information Technology Development Agency's crucial digital infrastructure has been identified by the team's Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team.

According to Punch, the document also stated that the hacktivist collective, well-known for its politically and religiously driven online campaigns, represents a serious threat to vital information infrastructure.

It stated:

Their tactics include targeted attacks on government digital services, using various attack types particularly DDoS attack, and they have a track record of successful attacks in various countries.

As a result, the agency issued a warning to the general public to be on the lookout for these attacks.

It further stated that it is forces it to acknowledge the need of bolstering our cyber front, hardening digital defences to ward off these destructive incursions, and crucial information and infrastructure.

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This realisation compels us to recognise the urgency of reinforcing our cyber front, fortifying our digital defences to shield against these malicious intrusions and secure the safety of our critical information and infrastructure.

Nigerian bank loses customers’ N1.7bn to hackers, seeks court help

According to Legit.ng's earlier report, the Nigerian financial institution Globus Bank Limited has experienced a significant setback after hackers were able to extract N1.755 billion in customer funds as a result of a system error.

The fraudulent transactions, according to court records submitted by the bank to a high court in Lagos, were carried out by hackers who profited from a bug in the bank's USSD channel.

Source: Legit.ng