THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has demonstrated exceptional performance at the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Cyber Security Hackathon 2024, emerging among the top contenders in the competition.
The event, organised by ECOWAS in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), brought together cyber security professionals across West Africa.
According to DCG, ICT/Modernization, Kikelomo Adeola, the event has two phases. The competition, she explained, aims to identify the top cyber security teams in the region. In Phase 1, participants engaged in an online Capture The Flag (CTF) competition via the Sec-Dojo platform, with labs released from 6 to 31 August 2024. Phase 2, scheduled for 14-16 October 2024, will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, featuring an in-person CTF competition designed to foster cross-border collaboration and assess advanced cyber security skills.
“The NCS teams’ performance reflects their strategic thinking and resilience in tackling complex cybersecurity challenges,” she stated.
CSC Abubakar Mustapha Jauro, who led the NCS team competing against 340 teams from ECOWAS member states, added that the NCS secured an impressive 1,100 points, displaying notable expertise in cryptography, steganography, reverse engineering, web exploitation, and binary analysis.
The NCS teams excelled with tools like Kali Linux, BurpSuite, and Metasploit. Their success underscores the need for better resources to further enhance their technical capabilities.
“The ECOWAS Cybersecurity Hackathon has not only sharpened the skills of NCS officers but also emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in strengthening our cybersecurity framework,” Jauro noted.
With continued investment and support, the NCS is poised to play a crucial role in protecting Nigeria’s cyberspace.
As the second phase approaches, anticipation builds for the final leg of the competition, where the best teams will be identified and recognised for their cyber Security prowess.
Eighteen-Eleven Media