This is the second part of the Cybercrime in Nigeria series.
Read: Cybercrime Typology in Nigeria: A Sign of Industrialisation (Part 1)
Nigerian crime now is abandoning pedestrian fraud-related crime that requires little or no technical skills. According to Statista, the country has 8th internet penetration rate, with 49 per cent of the country having an internet connection. The Nigeria Communication Commission has stated the country had over 114 million active internet subscriptions in December 2019. Technological penetration and increasing skills have raised the technical ability of users to conduct much more sophisticated and complex attacks.
Cybercriminals from Nigeria have demonstrated significant competencies both locally and internationally. A lot of Nigerian government website and information technology infrastructure has been hacked. Corporate organisations are not spared as experienced by Aero contractors in 2019. Two Nigerians living in Dagenham (U.K.) were recently sentenced for hacking into 700 banks and cell phone accounts. The Lekoil fraud scandal is being perceived to involve the international Nigerian cybercrime syndicate. Despite the absence of proof, it is not beyond the capacity of Nigerian cybercriminals.
It is generally acknowledged that no skill is required for any particular cybercrime not available among Nigerians. For example, Palo Alto Networks example named the Nigerian cybercrime crime group SilverTerrier.
This group was accused of hacking, malware distribution, and Business Email Compromise (BEC). One official of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice noted that Nigerians were now creating viruses and Botnets powerful enough to infiltrate any organisation.
Read Also : The Forbidden Tool
Recognition that majors Nigerian higher institutions are where these crimes are committed demonstrates that perpetrators are educated, technologically competent,t and have the resources to launch sophisticated cyberattacks. One example is the Hacking of the Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (INEC) in the 2015 national election. The Nigerian state is preparing for cyber warfare by training service officers.
In fact, we are witnessing the gradual evolution of cybercrime in Nigeria. It is how significant and sophisticated through advanced deployment. A further dimension of this sophistication is its direct focus on specific industries. The Nigerian hacking group named Gold Galleon has been associated with targeting the global maritime shipping industry. Other Nigerian hacking teams include “London blue”, which targets chief financial officers (CFOs). Other groups have the Nigerian cyber army and the Nigerian Hackers Team (NIHAT). The Nigerian cyber attackers develop their enterprise with increasing skills to hit local and foreign targets.
Migration and Cybercrime in Nigeria
Migration has played a significant role in improving the skills and competence of Nigerian cybercriminals. One convicted criminal has noted that there are now dedicated forums in which knowledge transfer occurs between Nigerians abroad and those that remain in the country. Hacking, for example, was one of the offenses leveled against the Bonaventure Chukwuka led group arrested and sentenced in London on the 2nd of May, 2019. In India, a cybercrime group consisting of three Nigerians involved in hacking bank accounts and creating fake web pages were arrested in June 2019.
Many Nigerians residing abroad use their skills to expand their crimes. Moreover, many of these foreign-based perpetrators occasionally visit Nigeria to train or mentor locally based proteges to improve their skills and performance. This social arrangement has contributed to the overall sophistication of cybercrime in Nigeria.
Evidence has also established the sophistication of cybercrime in Nigeria. Technological competency has stimulated high-level crime that was previously deemed impossible. The skills deployed suggest that technological penetration has contributed to the rate of perpetration. The most established modes include malware, hacking, virus, and botnets. Targets include specific industries or individuals which is another area of sophistication that emanates from the industry.
Dr Pelumi Apantaku explores the changes in the type of crime as witnessed in established cases worldwide. This is a four-part series that provides an elaborate insight into cybercrime in Nigeria.