Three weeks after the National Bureau of Statistics announced a cyber attack on its official website, the statistics agency has yet to reopen the website.
this is even as it is just one week to the release of the December 2024 inflation fugures.
The NBS on December 18 2024 announced to the nation that its website had been compromised.
Although the bureau did not give details or the nature of the attack, it warned against using any information posted on the site until it is fully restored.
According to the NBS in a statement anniuncing the breach, “Our team is actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality. We advise the public to disregard any messages or reports published on the website until further notice.”
During this period of shutdown, the NBS has so far delayed online publication of some key third quarter reports on capital flows into Nigeria, as well as an update on outstanding local and foreign debt for the same period among others.
So far there there is no assurance that the statistics agency will be ready with the website before January 15, which is the due date for the publication if the inflation figures for December 2024.
From all indications, it appears to be a case of once beaten, twice shy as the Director of Information and public relations at NBS, Mr. Sunday Ichedi said in an interview that the agency was taking every security measures to ensure that the site is well secured against any future attack.
According to him, “You will agree with me that what happened was an embarrassment and we would not want it to happen again, that is why we are taking our time to put every security features that will ward off any future attacks.”
Although he did not give a specific date when the site will return, he said he hopes it would be ready as soon as possible.
The shutdown has significantly limited access to important data for researchers, policymakers, businesses, the media and the general public.
The attack occured shortly after NBS released the Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024 report which indicated that the average amount paid by Nigerians as ransom between May 2023 and April 2024, stood at N2.67 million while about N2.23 trillion was paid within the reference period.
The report was alleged to have ruffled feathers among security agencies which weighed the security implications. Following the report, the Statistian General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran was questioned by the Department of State Services (DSS).