A Professor of Computer Systems and Network Engineering, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Samuel John, has said that to stem cybercrime across nations especially in Nigeria, it is imperative for tertiary institutions to produce more trained data scientists.
This, he said, was necessary because data exchange in computer networks, in the emerging smart world were very attractive targets for hackers because they contained valuable and sensitive information.
According to him, cybercriminals profit by breaching the servers of companies and damaging the databases in the process. “Thus, big data security testing is
inevitable.
He stated this while delivering the university’s 17th inaugural lecture entitled: ‘Efficient Data Exchange in Computer Networks: Big Data and Security in the Emerging Smart World.”
He added that as useful and relevant as the efficient management of big data was, the issue of security of these data was of greater concern, especially to guide the data from the unwanted actions of unauthorised users, such as cyberattack or a data breach and corruption.
He, therefore, said data users needed someone who understood enough about the possibilities, potentials and procedures of big data to help craft the solution that would ultimately be of value to business
persons.
Although he said a host of legislative actions by political and global bodies had sought to provide all players involved the necessary protections, there was still the need for graduate schools to provide competent hands to curb it.
The don noted that the training of more data scientists could also be used to hack down the activities of terrorists, kidnappings, cultism as well as fight cybercrime now ravaging the banking sector in the country.
“I urge tertiary institutions across the country to stand up to this challenge because inevitably, companies with big data will be drawn into a war for talents; big data industry players on their part need to be prepared to fight that war and having an elite core of data scientists is only part of the battle,” he said.
John, however, advised the Federal Government to improve network infrastructure across the country because, according to him, as the population rises, technological evolution and innovation in applications are advancing with rapid development.
The Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. Aaron Atayero, in his remarks said it was longer a secret that institutions of higher learning needed to play decisive roles in the development and solutions to the nation’s
challenges.
According to him, “Any institution that failed to perform these functions to the country would be
irrelevant.
“That is why at Covenant University we are at the forefront of research for national and African development, which has earned us rankings among world universities as well as Africa and Nigeria, respectively.”
