The Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) is an advocacy, public education and development non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) established and incorporated in June 2015 with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), in Abuja. The overall aim of CECAD is to promote cyber responsibility by Internet users at the local, regional, national and international levels. Through advocacy and public education, CECAD seeks to affect global affairs positively in its attempt at modifying ‘cyber behaviour’ of Internet users through diverse platforms.
The Centre, therefore, shall adopt effective communication, in form of strategically-constructed messages, as the weapon of choice in order to change people’s actions and behaviours. They strategically construct messages to not only shape behavior, but to also socially mobilize communities in promoting social, political, or environmental changes. Cyber Africa Magazine, published by Transatlantic Media Company Limited, Lagos, is a product and official publication of the Centre.
Preamble
Worldwide, almost each second is reportedly used effectively by hackers in planning attacks and exploiting vulnerable people, systems and processes. A recent survey on Nigerian cyber security outlook also, revealed that cybercrimes and attacks in the Nigerian cyberspace are on the increase, and that hackers are always one step ahead.
Incidentally, with each cyber-attack which comes in forms of denial of service and website defacements, has resulted in companies’ huge financial losses, mistrust by consumers, compromising or attacking Government-owned infrastructure.
Theft and unauthorised publication of vital and confidential information to the detriment of concerned individuals, organisations and institutions is equally on the rise in the cyberspace in recent times.
Subsequently, in 2014, the National Assembly of Nigeria took a decisive step in the war against cybercrime, as the Senate passed the Cybercrime Bill. The act was in addition to the cyber security strategy and policy documents introduced by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), all of which were said to have defined 2014 as the year of the awakening.
Therefore, the continuous battle in the cyberspace certainly requires a more upbeat, methodical, and dynamic system that can match tools and techniques used by cyber criminals. Individuals, organisations, institutions and governments need to ensure they
increase cyber awareness and vigilance of their assets, and install appropriate countermeasures with adequate resources in order to survive in the cyberspace. This is a gap that must be bridged with requisite resources at the disposal of all the stakeholders. The primary purpose of CECAD is promote cyber responsibility.
Analysing the market
The primary target audiences of CECAD are the upwardly-mobile and thinking individuals, institutions and governments who interact in the cyberspace.
The CECAD Mandate: (The ‘pro bono publico’ – For the Public Good)
The CECAD mandate is to dissuade people from the misuse of the Internet in order to promote cyber responsibility through advocacy, mobilisation, skills acquisition, training, motivation and enterprise. These measures are undertaken with a view to empowering the Internet users to explore the cyberspace for good causes to innovate, create employment opportunities, and add value to themselves and humanity.
Partnerships
Partnerships with all stakeholders are important in advancing the accomplishment of the organisation’s mandate. The CECAD seeks helpful alliances with the following with a view to enabling them to make commitment to funding, application of their time and resources, or volunteering for the organisation’s cyber awareness and development programmes and initiatives:
Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
National Orientation Agency (NOA)
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (in the Presidency)
Federal Ministry of Information
Federal Ministry of Communication Technology (FMCT)
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC)
All the 36 States of the Nigerian Federation and Abuja (FCT)
All the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria
Security institutions, agencies and formations (Government and private)