Namibia Security and Cyber Incidence Response Team

National Security and Cyber Incidence Response Team (NSCIRT-Namibia) is a team established to contribute to the security and stability of critical infrastructure and critical information infrastructure of the Republic of Namibia’s institutions, bodies, and agencies. NSCIRT-Namibia’s mission is to contribute to the security and stability of critical infrastructure and critical information infrastructure of the Republic of Namibia’s institutions, bodies, and agencies (“the constituents”) by acting as the incidence response coordination Centre for constituents. The scope of NSCIRT-Namibia’s activities covers prevention, detection, monitoring, response, reporting and advisories for its constituents. The team comprises 3 staff members, with an office located at 56 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek, Namibia. NSCIRT-Namibia’s preferred method of contact for general inquiries is to send an email to nscirt@cran.na which a duty officer monitors during hours of operation. The team is mandated by section 2 of the Cyber Crime Bill, and its funding is attained from the sources set out in the applicable legislation.

RFC 2350 is a document that provides a standard format for describing incident response teams (IRTs), also known as Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs). It specifies the information that should be included in the description of an IRT, including contact information, the team’s charter, policies, services, incident reporting procedures, and any other relevant information. The purpose of RFC 2350 is to provide a consistent and comprehensive way for IRTs to communicate their capabilities and responsibilities to other organizations and the public, making establishing trust and collaboration in incident response efforts easier.

ICT has become an integral part of social, economic and political lives providing opportunities for cyberattacks that can have severe socio-economic, financial and political consequences for the government, businesses and individuals. It is thus important that any person using the internet are on the lookout of scams or attempts to gain access to personal data such as ID numbers, banking details, etc.

 

Many a time, victims are approached via email referred to as ‘spam scams”. Common scams include:

 


Foreign Lotteries:

The intended victim receives an email that they have won a lottery. However, payment is requested before they can access their winnings.

 

Credit/Loan offerings

The intended victim is advised that they have “pre-qualified” for a credit card or low-interest loan. Such credit cards or loans rarely exist and the victim is always requested to pay a “processing fee” in advance.

 

The authenticity of such messages can easily be verified by contacting your bank.

 

Investment schemes

The victim receives an email containing an investment offer, which usually promised a high yield and NO risk. The targeted person is pressurized into signing a contract for an investment scheme. The offered investment scheme rarely delivers any return if at all.

 

THE BEST WAY TO RESPOND TO SUCH SCAMS IS TO NOT RESPOND AT ALL, NEVER SEND ANY MONIES AND NEVER PROVIDE ANY PERSONAL OR/AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

To avoid becoming a victim-

  • Protect your personal and financial information
  • Disregard any offer that asks you to pay for anything in advance
  • Obtain all guarantees or agreements in writing first and verify it with your bank
  • Consider using a “spam filter”

General administrative contact for the NSCIRT:

nscirt@cran.na