By BONIFACE AKARAH

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, warning Nigerians that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, deepfakes and voice cloning are creating new avenues for cybercrime.

The agency, in a press release signed by its Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hadiza Umar fnipr, on October 1, 2026, said this year’s campaign is anchored on the theme, “Together for a Safer Cyberspace,” and is aimed at making cybersecurity a shared responsibility among citizens, businesses, government institutions and other participants in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

NITDA said the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and automated systems has changed the nature of cyber threats, with criminals increasingly using sophisticated social engineering, deepfake impersonations, voice cloning and fraudulent QR-code attacks, also known as “quishing”.

According to the agency, “digital safety is no longer solely the responsibility of IT professionals, government agencies, or security experts,” stressing that securing Nigeria’s cyberspace requires active participation from everyone who uses digital platforms.

NITDA further advised Nigerians to strengthen their digital security by using strong and unique passwords, preferably stored with secure password managers, and enabling multi-factor authentication on personal, professional and financial accounts.

The agency also urged citizens to keep their devices and software updated, warning that delayed security patches could leave systems exposed to known vulnerabilities.

“Never share One-Time Passwords (OTPs), personal identification numbers (PINs), or online banking log-in details under any circumstances,” NITDA cautioned, while urging Nigerians to treat unsolicited requests for sensitive information with suspicion.

The agency also raised concerns about the growing use of artificial intelligence and emerging online tools, advising Nigerians against uploading sensitive personal, financial or corporate information into public AI models or unfamiliar platforms.

NITDA said Nigerians should “stay alert to suspicious links, unknown attachments, and unsolicited requests for personal info,” particularly when such messages rely on urgency, synthetic audio or deepfake visuals to pressure recipients into taking immediate action.

The agency further advised citizens to exercise caution over what they share publicly on social media, noting that excessive disclosure of personal information can provide material for targeted social-engineering attacks.

It also recommended frequent offline and cloud backups of important data to ensure that individuals and organisations can recover quickly from ransomware attacks or other forms of system disruption.

According to NITDA, its computer emergency response structure remains focused on equipping citizens and organisations with the knowledge, tools and frameworks required to prevent digital attacks, report incidents and contribute to a safer digital economy.

The agency urged Nigerians to participate actively in the awareness campaign throughout October, emphasising that a resilient cyberspace depends not only on government intervention but also on everyday security practices by individual users and organisations.

For cybersecurity updates, threat advisories and awareness information, NITDA said members of the public can follow its official channels under @NITDANigeria.

The agency also provided the Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT.ng) as a channel for incident reporting and further inquiries.