Cyber Warfare and National Security in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria is a theatre for many cybercriminal activities and attacks that have constantly threatened her national security. Many institutions, including financial and telecommunications, have continued to suffer huge monetary losses as a result of cyber war declared on the nation by certain criminal elements in the society. The vulnerability of cyberspace has allowed the invasion of Nigeria's cyber infrastructure and consequently impacting negatively on national security. The need to secure national cyberspace has become more urgent than ever because of the sharp increase in cyber threats that are capable of grounding national facilities and other critical economic systems. The capability of criminal state and non-state actors to infiltrate cyberspace and attack private and public businesses have further made it imperative for countries to reassess their cyber security and cyber warfare capability. Consequently, this paper interrogates Nigeria’s cyber warfare capability as a tool for enhancing national security.