When I wrote this article a few months ago, with the opening sentence: “I happen to be very security conscious with everything I do,” and the closing one: “Together, let's keep the web and the private contents it holds, safer,” I did not, in my wildest imagination, consider that I would soon enroll in a Cybersecurity certificate course from Google.

But looking back now, it feels like cybersecurity should have been an integral part of my professional endeavors from the very start in IT. As someone who, out of the box, pays a lot of attention to detail, safety, and innovation, security comes very naturally to me. However, the best time to plant a tree was five years ago, the next best time is now. And, if something did not happen in the week, but happened in the month, it still happened. So, here I am, finally.

THE BEGINNING

On April 1, 2024, news broke that Access Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s biggest commercial banks, lost over ₦6 billion in 2023 due to fraud and forgery, up from ₦1.44 billion the previous year.

The news also revealed that out of a total of ₦2.69 billion in electronic fraud attempts, the bank only lost ₦92.2 million, significantly down from ₦1.15 billion it lost in the same category the previous year. This, presumably and commendably, must be due to an improved cyber security posture by the bank. What it also means is that its customers bore the major part of the losses in billions of naira because they are the most targeted with successful electronic frauds and breaches.

Similar revelations of monumental losses due to cyber breaches were made across the length and breadth of financial services and other industries all over the world. So, it became very clear to me that this may just be the beginning of the worst days of cyber attacks and accompanying losses, unless more people—from digital product makers, to consumers, and everyone in between—start learning about, and taking cyber security more seriously.

After realizing that I am both a digital product maker (as a web developer) and consumer, and that I have what it takes to contribute effectively to the efforts being made to combat cyber criminal activities, I decided to roll up my sleeves, learn, and aid more proactively as a professionally trained cybersecurity personnel in this noble cause of making our digital landscape safer.

THE PATH

Having enrolled in the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate program on Coursera and having completed the first and second (out of eight) courses so far, I am now carefully taking notes to understand and determine the security domain(s) where I’d make the most impact.

This will take into account my relevant strengths and capabilities, which currently include programming skills and experience, an eye for detail, writing ability, continuous learning, social intelligence, etc., in relation to areas that require immediate and/or increased attention in the security chain.

I believe this is necessary because the security subsection of Information Technology is quite vast and requires specialties for maximal efficiency and effectiveness in identifying and managing risks, defending against threats, and fixing vulnerabilities.

THE FUTURE

From experiences in my everyday life, I've learned that the majority of people who should benefit from the various cybersecurity measures implemented by organizations that serve them, especially during breaches, either have no knowledge of these measures or are unable to utilize them. This is one of the primary reasons for successful breaches targeting digital product users.

To address this, I envision a future where I play important roles in simplifying security communication and activities between organizations and the people they serve. This can simply involve tweaking and adding new communication tools and channels, and harmonizing security information from different organizations in ways the ordinary person can better understand and utilize. It can also involve innovating security measures with a consumer-first approach in mind.

Generally, making security simpler, yet stronger and more accessible, is the future I want to see. I hope you can join or follow me on this journey as I formally propose: together, let's keep the web and the private contents it holds, safer.

Thank you for reading.

I'm on Twitter @tradersTechie