ICT expert urges internet users to protect data online

Internet
By Constance Imasuen
Abuja, April 27, 2018 (NAN) Ms Nnenna Nwakanma, the Senior Manager, Africa Web Foundation has advised internet users to protect their data online by ensuring they visit only correct sites to avoid being hacked by fraudsters.
Nwakanma made this call on Friday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
She said internet users needed to educate, enlighten and empower themselves on how to use the computer to know what to do online.
According to her, personal data which are personal information like age, preferences, and other things that help to identify online users should be used for the purpose it is intended for.
She said an organisation should also make use of its data for the purpose it was meant for and guard against the use of the data for criminal purposes.
“When you are traveling from the offline world to the online world, you ought to know where you should go and not go.
“So we as users need to inform and educate ourselves and understand that the way there is crime offline, there is also crime online,’’ she said.
Nwakanma said password should be treated as private and not to be exposed as it should be changed from time to time.
According to her, when banking online, the bank needs to be secured and to also ensure that the money goes to where it is supposed to go.
The expert gave tips on how internet could be secured by users through Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
“IP addresses are unique string of numbers separated by full stops that identify each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network will help to safeguard the computer.
“The Secure Token Transfer Protocol provides the means for two entities to exchange a set of tokens that is needed to perform a certain task such as authentication can also be used,’’ she said.
Nwakanma said on the policy side, “Nigerian government and others should adopt laws on ground like the civil code or the criminal laws in many countries that punishes theft and apply it to online theft. (NAN)
COA/MO/GY
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Edited by Omolade Michael/Grace Yussuf