A Free Online Resource That Small Businesses Can Use To Significantly Reduce Their Cyber Risk and Curtail Incidences of Cybercrime Lagos State Ministry of Justice today announced the introduction of a cyber security toolkit for small business, a free online resource that small businesses can use to significantly reduce their cyber risk and curtail incidences of cybercrime. A joint effort between the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), an international, cross-sector effort dedicated to eradicating cyber risk and
improving our connected world, the toolkit will provide real-world tools and clear
directions for taking immediate action for reducing cyber risk at a time when the need for such resources has never been greater.

The toolkit includes operational tools that address common security issues, global standards and recognized best practices. Speaking at the Launch in Lagos Nigeria, the Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Lagos State,
Mr. Adeniji Kazeem SAN described the toolkit as a great asset to small businesses.

According to Mr. Kazeem, ‘’The major driving force for the deployment of the cyber security toolkit for small businesses in Lagos State is its apparent potential to reduce cybercrime which in-turn has a significant impact on our collective gains as a Ministry that focuses on creating a crime free society.’’

The nature of cybercrime goes beyond national boundaries; hence, there is need for international initiative and concerted trans-border joint actions in fighting cybercrime and also providing bulwarks against its perpetration. To further its cybersecurity efforts, the Lagos State Ministry of Justice joined GCA as a partner in support of its mission to eradicate global cyber risk.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of a community and provide all manner of
essential services and support to individuals, enterprise businesses and
government. Even though a business may be small, when it comes to cybercrime the risks are great.

The toolkit, which will be regularly updated with input from users, industry experts and public and private partners across the globe, was developed in partnership with Mastercard. The Global Cyber Alliance also partnered with several additional organizations to create the GCA cybersecurity toolkit, including the Center for Internet Security, the Cyber Readiness Institute, the City of London and the City of New York.

At the launch of the toolkit, which took place in New York and London on the 19th February 2019, in reiterating the importance of cybersecurity, City of London Police Commissioner Ian Dyson said, “As the national lead force for fraud and a
founding member of the Global Cyber Alliance, we are always pleased to see new initiatives that will assist businesses in improving their cyber security. Businesses lost £6.7 million as a result of social media and email accounts being compromised between April and September 2018. It’s therefore essential that we, as a force, continue to work closely with businesses as well as the organisations that serve to protect them.”

According to Cyrus Vance, Jr., Manhattan District Attorney, “When we launched the Global Cyber Alliance we set out to empower organizations of all sizes with the tools they need to prevent cybercrime. The Global Cyber Alliance’s free Cybersecurity Toolkit provides small and medium sized businesses with immediate, concrete steps to protect their companies and customers against crippling cyberattacks, and I thank each of the public and private partners who contributed their world-class expertise.”

“What sets the Global Cyber Alliance Cybersecurity Toolkit apart is that it is an action kit,” said Philip Reitinger, President and CEO of Global Cyber Alliance. “Our focus is on producing a dynamic clearinghouse of operational tools that help small and medium businesses address risk and improve their cybersecurity posture, leveraging the deep expertise of our network of global partners, such as Mastercard, and the experiences of actual GCA toolkit users.”

Raghav Prasad, Divisional President Sub-Saharan Africa, Mastercard Middle East and Africa: “We recognize the valuable role governments play in enabling the development of SME ecosystems, which remain one of the most significant drivers of economic growth and social stability in Africa. At Mastercard, we have already used our technology, data and expertise to help more than 60 governments around the world design and implement over 1,300 programs customized to address opportunities in national security, citizen empowerment and economic development. We are proud to be bringing our expertise in our work with the Global Cyber Alliance and the Lagos State Ministry of Justice to help strengthen cybersecurity in Nigeria.”

As a thriving State, which encourages inward investment and also supports indigenous Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are vulnerable to cybercrime, this initiative is appropriate and timely.

The Lagos State Government will encourage and collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the business community and regulatory bodies to embrace this cybercrime toolkit for small business as a formidable initiative in fighting cybercrimes and related offences.

To access the GCA Cybersecurity Toolkit, visit https://gcatoolkit.org/smallbusiness
or the website of Lagos State Ministry of Justice www.lagosministryofjustice.org for a redirection to the GCA Website. The Lagos State Ministry of Justice and the GCA will also be conducting a series of webinars on how to protect your business from cybercrime.

Details will be announced on our website soon.