The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has extended its support for the Nigerian Communications Commission to fight cybercrimes.
According to reports from Punch, a cybercrime expert with the UN, Patrick Boismenu, said that the UNODC was willing to provide assistance in needed areas to ensure that the ISPs complied with requirements for data retention because of the crucial role of data in fighting cybercrimes.
He stated this during an interactive session with representatives of the NCC at the commission’s headquarters.
“Our goal is to ensure that cybercrime investigators have access to the tools they need to do their work,” Boismenu said.
A statement by the NCC said that the UNODC e-Learning Project Officer, Kamal Toure; and Boismenu were at the commission’s headquarters as part of their assessment mission to West Africa to gauge how well Nigeria, Senegal and the Gambia were able to fight cybercrimes.
At the meeting, the NCC pledged to continue to collaborate with other government agencies and international partners towards stemming the tide of cybercrimes.
The agency’s Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management), Mr. Sunday Dare, said that the commission performed its regulatory functions in a way that ensured that its licensees took the steps necessary to combat cybercrimes.
He said, “The role of the NCC here is to do an audit and make sure that we have all the ISPs with active database and meeting the six months (data retention requirement) as stipulated in the licence provision.”
Meanwhile, a new report has indicated that children who own cell phones are more likely to be victims of cyber bullying.
The report by Associated Press said the increased risk could be tied to increased opportunity and vulnerability.
The researchers said that continuous access to social media and texting increases online interactions, providing more opportunities to engage with peers and increasing the chance of an impulsive response to peers’ postings and messages.
“Parents often cite the benefits of giving their child a cell phone, but our research suggests that giving young children these devices may have unforeseen risks as well,” said Elizabeth K. Englander, a professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
Researchers also noted that the older the students, the more likely they were to own cell phones.
The results, to be presented at the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on Monday (today), were a reminder for parents to consider the risks as well as the benefits when deciding whether to provide their elementary school-aged child with a cell phone, it added.
“At the very least, parents can engage in discussions and education with their child about the responsibilities inherent in owning a mobile device, and the general rules for communicating in the social sphere,” Englander said.
