The Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc, Nigeria's largest Central Securities Depository (CSD), has concluded arrangements to bring together government officials, industry experts and dignitaries across the economy to raise awareness about main and emerging cybersecurity threats. The Depository intends to chart a new course toward sustainable cybersecurity solutions. The financial market infrastructure (FMI) noted this during a press conference at its Lagos office. The 2022 conference will take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on October 27, 2022. 

The event will have the following special guests and speakers; Mr. Lamido Yuguda, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); Mrs. Aishah Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Mr. Ade Shonubi, Deputy Governor, Operations Directorate, Central Bank Nigeria (CBN); Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, Chair, Nigerian National Cybersecurity Policy, and Strategy 2021 Committee); Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc; Mr. Oscar N. Onyema, OON, Chairman, Board of Directors, CSCS, amongst other distinguished professionals and government officials. 

The conference-themed "Future of Cybersecurity: Emerging issues and solutions" is one of the flagship events to mark CSCS' 25th Anniversary of successful operations in the Nigerian capital market. It will feature high-profile ministerial interviews, keynote addresses, interactive sessions, and panel discussions with leading experts. 

Briefing journalists, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, CSCS Plc, said that in line with the company's strategic objectives, CSCS would continue yearly to drive engagement among stakeholders and advocate for the protection of information against unauthorized access. According to Mr. Jalo-Waziri, "Since technological advances marked by the emergence of the internet and social media have made it easier to communicate and reduce the world into a global village resulting in the elimination of boundaries in how people communicate and connect, there is complexity in managing the challenges that come with this interconnectedness. As such, we felt the need to take the conversation much higher this year and broaden the scope of solutions as we bring together industry experts and government officials to tackle this menace". 

"We are confident that the solutions that these accomplished professionals and cyber-experts would proffer would go a long way to encourage corporates to build firewalls and mitigate against potential vulnerability and subsequent financial loses should any breach occur to businesses," Mr. Jalo-Waziri concluded.

Commenting on the event, Mrs. Isioma Lawal, Acting Head, Enterprise Risk Management and Resilience Services, CSCS, said the issue of cybersecurity should be taken more seriously as cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated daily while encouraging businesses to get involved. According to her, "people should start registering for the event by visiting https://www.cscs.ng/cybersecurity-conference/ and join hands with us in the fight against cybercrimes." 

The cybersecurity conference is a hybrid and exclusive high-profile business networking event that brings together leading cybersecurity industry professionals, government officials, financial institutions, telecommunication companies and industry regulators to discuss the significance of keeping cyber vigilance on varying degrees of business technology touchpoints for data exchange. 

Being a technology company largely because of its digitized operations arising from the huge technological investments, CSCS has been at the forefront of continued advocacy toward information security and a cybercrime-free business environment. The company has sustained this advocacy since 2019, when the conference began with 50 attendees but has grown to record over 900 attendees drawn from across different segments of the Nigerian economy within the last few years.