APC cautions Nigerians against use of VPN, prevent exposure to cybercrimes
By Modupe Shodeinde
The Ruling All Progressive Congress has warned Nigerians to avoid use of the Virtual Private Network (VPN).
This comes as many Nigerians resorted to the use of the social media alternative, after the federal government suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria.
According to the National Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, the VPN is vulnerable to the heinous activities of criminal hackers who can steal data and money in bank accounts.
The party warned legitimate private and public entities operating in the country to avoid the many dangers of exposing themselves to cybercrimes through the use of VPN which is not adequately secured.
The statement issued on Tuesday read in part: “This advisory is necessary because, despite the massive compliance by Nigerians to the federal government’s suspension of Twitter operations in the country, some individuals in the country have resorted to VPN to assess Twitter whose unwholesome activities were detrimental to peace and public order in the country.
“Those using the VPN are advised to desist in their own interests because of its risks, which include data theft, illegal access to strategic company documents and possible economic espionage.
“The APC emphasises that VPN users expose their devices to vulnerabilities because the network allows third parties access to personal data and changes user location to another country which compromises data integrity. Your record can be traced to another country that is not yours, with all the risks that entail.
“Many individuals and organisations using VPN have lost their investments after compromising the security of their devices. The APC strongly advises that Nigerians should avoid installing or using VPN to access social networking sites in order to protect their privacy and security online. This is in our individual and collective interest.”
