Lagos NUJ trains members on tackling cyber crimes

No fewer than 57 journalists drawn from different media organisations, including the Ministry of Information, were on Wednesday in Lagos trained on tackling cyber crimes.
The training programme was organised by the Lagos Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, in collaboration with Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria.
It held at the Ladi Lawal Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
One of the facilitators, Kingsley Robert, who spoke on the dangers of public Wi-Fi Network usage, said such connection exposes one to hackers.
Robert warned that cyber crime, in no distant time, would be the main issue nations of the world would pay attention to, stressing that guns and bombs would be relatively useless.
He said journalists needed to know the dangers associated with some of the equipment used for their operations such as mobile phone, laptop, flash drive and print-out machine among others.
Robert said: “When you go to public places like airport, stadium and hotels, you have access to wi-fi network, thinking it is free. Nothing is free in internet.
“Somebody is operating such network for a reason. As soon as you connect to such network that the operators are not known, you expose yourself.
“When you are in public, do not access sensitive documents in your system.’’
The Lagos Council NUJ Chairman, Deji Elumoye, while declaring open the forum, urged journalists to take their personal security very serious.
Elumoye said that journalists working at all times needed to be cautious of their movement and places they go.
He said that security goes beyond life and property, stressing that the council organised the training session for members so as to secure them and others.
Sekinah Lawal, Lagos NAWOJ Chairperson, told newsmen that the training was very useful, stressing that many things people take for granted were identified as dangerous if not properly handled.
Lawal called for more of such training programmes for other journalists.
Raymond Tedunjaiye of the New Nigerian Newspapers said the forum was an eye opener on cyber networks, stressing that he was better informed on internet-related crimes.
Mary Fatile of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria said the training programme had taught her how to keep a password safe and ways to avoid hackers.