Hackers Gain Control of NBS Website.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has confirmed a recent breach of its website, underscoring a troubling trend of increasing cyberattacks targeting public institutions in Nigeria. In a statement released on their official X handle, the NBS stated: “This is to inform the public that the NBS website has been hacked, and we are working to recover it. Please disregard any messages or reports posted until the website is fully restored. Thank you.”

As of the latest check, the NBS website displayed a nearly blank page with the message “Page Hacked,” highlighting the severity of the incident. This breach aligns with a growing pattern of cyber threats aimed at government websites, raising significant concerns about the safeguarding of sensitive information.

Earlier this year, a notable incident was reported by FIJ, revealing that the private website XpressVerify.com had unauthorized access to the National Identification Numbers (NINs) and personal details of registered Nigerians. Such incidents reflect a broader crisis in cybersecurity, prompting the federal government to issue over 30 cyberattack advisories in the past year.

Check Point Software Technologies, a prominent cybersecurity firm, has identified Nigeria as the 19th most vulnerable country globally to cyber threats, with government agencies facing an alarming average of 1,791 attacks each week. As the digital landscape evolves, safeguarding sensitive data becomes imperative, necessitating robust responses from both public institutions and government authorities to mitigate these escalating threats.