VELMA-ARC: Action to Reduce Cybercrimes
Velma-ARC is a restorative justice initiative, enabling positive reintegration into society and enlisting expertise to fight cybercrimes.
Firstly, it is a cost-effective way of dealing with cybercrime offenders;
Secondly, it reduces the possibility that offenders repeat their criminal behavior, out of despair from being nailed down with criminal records;
Thirdly, it lessens the workload of police and the justice system;
Fourthly, it is more humane, as it provides the offenders with necessary and adequate treatment;
Fifthly, it differentiates between less serious offenders and repeat offenders or felons who need to be incarcerated.
Community service is required; this measure endorses non-custodial sentences, allowing offenders to exercise social functions, and bringing managerial efficiency into the operation of the criminal justice system.
Trained and certified participants will provide recent information to law enforcement agencies in order to aid in the detection, investigation, arrest, prosecution of cybercrimes in Nigeria.
The Time Magazine listed Nigeria as the 4th Top Cybercrime Hotspot in the world in 2014, only behind Russia, China and Brazil. “The original home of low-tech scam emails,” Nigeria is the headquarters of cybercrimes in Africa.
With the growing sophistication of the Nigerian youth in cyber competencies, they can acquire the capability with global damaging capacity.1
Evidence shows the manipulative drive of the terrorist group Boko Haram, which has leveraged on the vulnerability of the Nigerian youths to deepen their process and drive for recruitment and radicalization, targeting mostly disaffected and unemployed youths who live in hostile environments; the UNDP quotes in 2019 Nigeria has over 98 m poor, highest in the world, youth underemployed or unemployed, rate being 55.4% despite qualifications. These factors put together makes Nigeria a rich ground for cyberterrorism.
Velma-ARC serves to enhance the institutional capacity of local and national-level institutions to provide efficient youth-centered support services. Our endeavors are to curb and address the root causes of cybercrime, strengthen prevention of recidivism processes, reintegrate disengaged youths, strengthen prevention of forced recruitment and utilization initiatives all pervasive in the current climate.
1 The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Marks Its 20th Year — FBI
1: Recruitment
We operate a website to register voluntarily.
Law enforcement agencies and other ICT intervention organizations across the country send candidates for rehabilitation.
As of 8 May 2020 Interpol National Central Bureau in Abuja Nigeria has agreed to forward their cybercriminals to our service.
2: Screening
Intrinsic is psychological intervention by the Psychology Team from Day 1.
The candidates are camped for 2-4 weeks, screened to identify their preparedness to rehabilitate at 3rd Stage.
3: Induction into Boot camp 1-2 months
Lectures/training on the legal implications of cybercrimes from criminal justice stakeholders including Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
Training in various ICT fields.
Community services on deterrence and prevention.
On graduation, a personal project must be presented on how to curb cybercrimes.
4: Further ICT Training Empowerment
Graduates are sponsored to ICT institutions to perfect their IT skills to the level of certification.
5: Cyber crime Intervention Hub Induction
Support law enforcement agencies; providing up-to-date information for the detection, investigation, arrest, prosecution.
Victims – local and foreign – seeking justice to find their fraudsters, locate stealth activities and report findings to law enforcement agencies.
Provide cyber security information to private/public sectors who wish to detect and prevent cyber-attacks.
Velma-ARC has structured a reintegration program for previously convicted adults, first-time offenders and juvenile offenders to assist them to change their criminal behavior.
The fundamentals of our program rely on professional psychological intervention to provide cognitive behavioral treatments to cyber criminals.
Serving the purpose of youth empowerment and entrepreneurship incentives to hitherto unemployed youths, we harness their ICT skills to be efficient stakeholders in fighting cybercrimes, and also make them employable in the international ICT market.
The rehabilitated unethical cyberspace actors use their knowledge and experience to assist law enforcement agents in fighting cybercrimes. They will work together with criminal justice stakeholders to expose new trends in cyber threats and plug loopholes constantly exploited by cybercriminals.
The initiative encourages community service without monetary reward, as means of rehabilitation. This measure endorses non-custodial sentences, allowing offenders to exercise social functions, and bringing managerial efficiency into the operation of the criminal justice system.
Finally, we provide support to victims of cybercrimes by using the wherewithal of our participants to help victims get justice. Our participants use their knowledge and experience to help investigate cases of cyber fraud and identify the perpetrators.
- Other
Responding to the unique conditions of youth and focusing on their psycho-social needs, Velma-ARC has created a program to engage former cybercrime youth offenders.
Velma-ARC serves to foster in the repentant cross-cutting capabilities to establish market-driven workforce development strategies; the acquisition of the foundational, technical, financial, entrepreneurial, and other critical skills in order to create livelihoods to support.
Velma-ARC offers alternative sources of income and employ-ability, reducing unemployment, curbing cybercrimes and stimulating economic empowerment.
Spurring the repentant youth to cultivate practical tools and providing opportunities to learn prosocial strategies, Velma-ARC furnishes coping techniques for addressing their inherent problems.
IMG-20200527-WA0007.jpg Graduation
- Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community
- A new business model or process
Velma-ARC provides the solution to cyber security risks across all spectrum:
To the government, rehabilitated participants provide information and assistance to government agencies that would aid in investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes.
To the IT companies, we help convert a malicious cybercriminal who hitherto exploited vulnerabilities to a cyber security expert, who would help test and identify loopholes in cyber security infrastructure.
To the society, participants undertake community services and engage in a wide range of outreach activities; teaching citizens about deterrence and prevention.
To the victims of cybercrime who seek justice, the Hub helps to investigate trends, identify and locate the crimes, provides investigation results to law enforcement agencies and offers relevant information that aids the prosecution of the cybercriminal.
To the administration of justice sector, ensuring reduction in re-offending through rehabilitation.
To the repentant cybercriminals, we provide alternative sources of income and employability, reducing the number of unemployment in Nigeria and providing economic empowerment. We also give them an easy path back into society.
Our intervention is a complementary intervention to aid the activities of law enforcement agencies in curbing cybercrimes.
It is a novel idea, which has only been mooted by various stakeholders in concept but never been executed until now. We believe that this intervention is required for a holistic fight against cybercrimes in Nigeria.
With the success achieved, we are confident that this model can be copied in other countries with similar situations as Nigeria.
Cyber terrorism is a product of cyber-technology and an aspect of cybercrime. Criminal elements will always attempt to innovate in their criminal tendencies while the security agencies will also attempt to decode and deter new forms of crimes.1
To avert such threats of criminal activity, Velma-ARC delves into 4th Industrial Revolution 4IR technology to deny criminals of cyber-safety, eliminating the resources that aid them to carry out cyber attacks.
Research on the global expansion of AI surveillance by intercepting communications, penetrating computers, and deploying location-tracking applications is becoming more widely adopted.
Predictive analytics technology through this use of geospatial data is one such solution;
What has transpired? What is transpiring? What will transpire?
The Nigeria security agencies can use predictive analytics technology to predict, prevent and counter cyber attacks. The employment of geospatial data will enable to swiftly develop a counter strategy to alleviate potential threats of cybercrime.
To effectively establish institutional mechanisms for managing cyber security, Velma-ARC recognises the tactical employment of technology as a sensible starting point in the disaggregation of cyber terrorism.
... 11 countries’ cyber skill shortages.... extrapolated that the global deficit of qualified... sits at over four million unfilled positions, argues the workforce needs to grow by a staggering 145 percent. 2
To avert the impending dooms, Velma-ARC offers the expertise of our repentant cyber actors in countering such attacks.
By integrating 4IR technology in counter terrorism strategies will Nigeria reverse such menacing threats.
1. ic3-20th-anniversary-infographic.jpg
2. Cyber Reserves Are Not a Silver Bullet
Digital tools are playing an increasingly prominent role in blunting cyber attacks from reoccurring. States are deploying sophisticated surveillance tools augmented by artificial intelligence from location-tracking spyware and hi-resolution video surveillance, to hacking software, and censorship filtering applications.
Huawei, is setting up advanced “safe city” platforms, offering facial recognition and intelligent video surveillance systems to monitor repressive cyber actors, and provide advanced analytic capabilities.
In supplying facial recognition technology and advanced analytic tools, governments can counter cyber attacks — operations that manipulate software, data, computer systems, or networks to degrade operational capabilities or collect information.
Creation of a safe cyber environment through integrated information operation IO is ideal for contemporary counter-terrorism campaigns.
Monitoring security and sharing information via a trusted source is such a solution. A good example is the CyberNet 1, an online platform developed and managed by Israel's National Computer Emergency Response Team CERT and part of Israel's National Cyber Directorate INCD. The incentives for participation are access to data that help companies to identify potential threats.
AI-based surveillance offers many unique advantages over conventional tools. It enhances cost efficiencies, decreases reliance on security forces, and allows authorities to “cast a much wider net than traditional methods.” 2
The use of 4IR technologies such as machine learning algorithms and AI are sure ways of combating cyber attacks. Since terrorism infiltrates cyberspace, the use of technologies remains the sustainable mechanisms to overcome cybercriminal activity.
1 Cybernet: A New Israeli Cybersecurity Social Network
2 https://warontherocks.com/author/steven-feldstein/
- Behavioral Technology
- Big Data
- Crowdsourced Service / Social Networks
- GIS and Geospatial Technology
- Imaging and Sensor Technology
- Materials Science
- Software and Mobile Applications
- Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality
The scourge of cybercrimes in Nigeria has diminished our moral values and the reputation of our country in the international community. Prior to the enactment of the Cybercrime Prevention and Prohibition Act of 2015, very few incidences of cybercrimes were reported in Nigeria, partly because the acts were not criminal at the time.
However, the enactment of the law did not deter or reduce the incidences. In fact, more cybercriminal activities have been committed since the enactment of the law. Law enforcement agencies are now overstretched and cannot rein in the incidences.
To out-smart the cybercrime-curbing institutions, Velma-ARC recognizes the fact that cybercriminals, in their association with hacking, possess specialized skills which are required by the combating institutions for cybercrime to be controlled. As such, exposure to the techniques of cybercriminals would contribute positively to the efforts of these institutions.
The cybercrime industry is an enormous one. The gains to cybercriminals and loss to businesses are huge. There is a need to do everything to stop cybercrimes before cyberspace becomes unsafe for all of us and our coming generation.
IT companies invest a lot of money on IT infrastructure, national governments identify communications infrastructure as critical infrastructures. This class of infrastructure must be protected against cybercriminals who target information integrity and availability.
US President Obama declared that the “cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and that “America's economic prosperity in the twenty-first century will depend on cyber security.”1
Cybercrimes produce a dangerous generation of corrupt people who would continue to abuse due process and rule of law. It increases criminal cartels, cultism and secret societies that would eventually lead a violent economy in the near future, especially when they control the polity and policy making process.
In effect, the threat of cyber-terrorism cannot but increase in intensity as long as there are educated and knowledgeable youth occupying positions of authority in terrorist organizations.
A sincere commitment in establishing effective institutional mechanisms for managing cyber security drives this force of change. 2
- Women & Girls
- Children & Adolescents
- Rural
- Peri-Urban
- Urban
- Poor
- Low-Income
- 1. No Poverty
- 4. Quality Education
- 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
- 9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 12. Responsible Consumption and Production
- 16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- 17. Partnerships for the Goals
- Nigeria
- Nigeria
The targeted beneficiaries in Nigeria are the Youths - children and young adults – from all parts of the country.
Year 2020
Population (No.) 43,381,413
Note: Annual Growth Rate of the country is 2.53%, as the Youth Dependency Ratio is 80.9 and Median Age for the country is 18 years old
(Recent Demographic change/reason) Info. Source CIA World Factbook
Already, 8 people have benefited from the first batch out of the about 50 persons who registered because we could not afford to accommodate everyone who showed interest.
For the second stage not even advertised yet, we already have over 100 persons showing interest, having seen that the scheme is real.
We project that our Centre would rehabilitate 100 cyber criminals per year, in 2 batches of 50 each.
Our Boot camp opens twice a year: January and June.
In 10 years, we are confident that we would have rehabilitated more than 1000 cyber criminals.
Expected effects/changes:
We believe that by this project, we will reduce cybercrimes in Nigeria to a bare minimum.
By the end of 10 years, the Centre would have generated sufficient income to be self-sufficient and build its own facilities because its upward income would be inversely proportional to its expenditure.
In addition, participants will graduate to become facilitators and share ownership of the community based Centre, open to all Youths interested in fighting cyber crimes.
Currently in the COVID-19 pandemic our graduates are working on a sensitization webinar to bring awareness in the community.1
Establishing the Cybercrime Intervention Centre in Abuja, wherein the Rehabilitation Bootcamp and Hub activities will take place, we propose to secure a long lease of 10 years for this project.
Running for a year in 2 batches; 100 participants of 6 month intervals.
Graduates from 1st batch of 50 will work with the original graduates of 8 to provide income generating services at the Hub, this yielding financial income by the time the 2nd batch of 50 would have graduated from camp.
By 3rd batch, we would save costs on IT training and facilitators, leveraging our experience to sustain operations. Our recurrent expenditure, reduced significantly by this time, while our income would be on the increase.
By the end of 10 years, the Centre will generate sufficient income to be self-sufficient because its upward income would be inversely proportional to its expenditure.
As facilitators, they share ownership of the Centre; it will be open to all Youths interested in fighting cybercrimes.
Trained and certified participants will provide recent information to law enforcement agencies in order to aid in the detection, investigation, arrest, prosecution of cybercrimes in Nigeria.
We intend to issue a subscription based cyber security publication. Dissemination of cyber-related information is essential to our overall function.
For victims of cybercrime, the Hub provides support to investigate and aid the prosecution. Such support services will be billed by the Hub which we intend to run as a business entity independent of the Foundation.
Establishing the Cyber crime Intervention Centre in Abuja, wherein the Rehabilitation Bootcamp and Hub activities will take place, we have chosen Abuja because it is central and safe. In considering costs, we had thought of locating at a distance from the capital but we could not get some foreign partners to our last camp at Ilesa for fear of kidnapping in the South West.
For such an initial outlay, funds in pursuant of our Centre are limited hence the need to seek support of an estimated 20 million Naira or equivalent to roughly 50 thousand US dollars.
Our budget is designed with sustainability in mind. Failing to generate such financials would impede the stability of the immediate projection.
Inviting buy-ins to enhance the success of our mission, Velma -ARC weighs heavily on the value system integration of cross-sectoral partnerships, namely of IT industry and criminology. Such collaboration increases the value of contribution of our candidates and in turn, optimizes the efficiency to effectively curb the perpetration of cybercrime. This very lack of support would hinder the chain of sustainability of our initiative.
The network of corroboration including; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency, Ministry of Communications Technology, Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Correction Services (Prisons), Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Police, Nigerian Bar Association and the Judiciary stands committed to support the pioneering endeavors of Velma-ARC.
It is of their own volition, that the roots of our program have given life, without which Velma-ARC would not survive.
Below is the budget to secure, eliminating the need to pay rent or incur accommodation costs for the participants for 1 year.
Velma ARC 2020
Bootcamp / Hub 1 year:
5,000,000 N
Generator:
4,131,500 N
ICT Training / IT Skills Acquisition: Remuneration IT Trainers / Facilitators:
30,000,000 N
Psychological Intervention Assessment:
7,500,000 N
Publicity & Media Press Conference:
3,500,000 N
Transportation:
14,000,000 N
Accommodation: Facilitators:
6,000,000 N
Print Materials:
6,000,000 N
Annual Salaries:
117,000,000 N
Stipends to Volunteers:
50,400,000 N
Total: 243,531,500 N*
*Naira Nigerian local currency (100 N @ US$0.26)
** 632 Thousand US Dollars
Saving costs on IT training and facilitators leveraging our experience to sustain operations.
Assisting law enforcement agents in fighting cyber crimes, to expose new trends in cyber threats and plug loopholes constantly exploited by cybercriminals.
Producing a subscription based cyber security publication that we will share with FINTech companies and other interested individuals.
Also, some victim support services will be billed by the Hub which we intend to run as a business entity independent of the Foundation.
The ICT Hub/ Centre will start generating to be self-sufficient because its upward income would be inversely proportional to its expenditure.
Velma-ARC is registered in the US System for Award Management SAM for eligibility for Government Grants.
NCAGE data SHSZ7 (NATO Support and Procurement Agency)
DUNS Number: 561386901
D&B Legal Business Name: VELMA FOUNDATION
Velma-ARC actively responds to any grant offerings both from the private and public sectors.
- Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Not applicable at this stage.
With the Velma-ARC team of twelve staff listed below, we believe we have what it takes to change the world in our own way.
Executive Director David ‘Diya Ashaolu LL.B, B.L, LL.M (Harvard), CC.E (USA), FNSIS, is the A), FNSIS
Dr. Abiodun Oduwole LL.B, B.L, LL.M (Kingston), MCIArb (UK)
Ms Carla Therese Ceravolo
Joy Wonne Ihuoma
Bashir Mohammed Abubakar CCNA, PNM
Akuda Lucky William LL.B, B.L, LL.M
Kola Oyekan LL.B, B.L,
Blessing Bassey
Uchenna Nnamoko LL.B, B.L,
Osifeso Ademola LL.B. B.L,
David Uma LL.B, B.L,
Omonigho Simon Umukoro, Consultant Psychologist Dip., B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. (IBADAN)
Velma Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Velma Solicitors.
Involved in a number of philanthropist and humanitarian outreaches across the country, striving to meet the needs of those helpless and vulnerable.
Our outreaches include:
*Provision of Educational and Health-based human resource capacity to Internally Displaced Persons at Kuchingoro, Abuja *Distribution of Relief Materials to different IDP Camps and Motherless Babies’ Homes/Orphanages *Velma-ARC Rehabilitation Bootcamp for Repentant Cybercriminals
Velma Foundation has 8 permanent staff and 15 part-time staff. From time-to-time, we recruit a number of volunteers, who provide assistance to our team in the execution of projects. At the Velma-ARC Bootcamp, we had over 20 volunteers.1
David ‘Diya Ashaolu LL.B, B.L, LL.M (Harvard), CC.E (USA), FNSIS, is the A), FNSIS, Executive Director. Master of Laws (LL.M) from Harvard Law School. Winner of Future Leaders Connect of the British Council in 2018, convener of the Policy Club. Director, Co-Founder at Velma Foundation Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, USA Member of Nigerian Bar Association Executive at Institute of Data Processing Management, Nigeria
Dr. Abiodun Oduwole LL.B, B.L, LL.M (Kingston), MCIArb (UK), Director and Co-Founder at Velma Foundation. LL.M in Dispute Resolution from Kingston University, UK Doctor of Philosophy in Arbitration and Dispute Resolutions
Ms Carla Therese Ceravolo Director and Executive Partner at Velma Foundation. International Liaison Officer, co-convener of Velma-ARC Victim of cybercrimes
Omonigho Simon Umukoro
Consultant Psychologist Dip., B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D. (IBADAN)
Velma-ARC Bootcamp 20th January 2020, headed psychology team 2
Inviting buy-ins to enhance the success of our mission, Velma-ARC weighs heavily on the value system integration of cross-sectoral partnerships. In doing so, such collaboration increases the value of contribution of our candidates, optimizing the efficiency to effectively curb the perpetration of cybercrime.
Integral to our rehabilitation of repentant cybercriminals, a reliance on the external partnership of criminologists serves to lay the foundations of our mission.
At the Velma-ARC Boot camp on 20th January 2020, participants were briefed on the rehabilitation process with a personality assessment test administered by the psychology team headed by Dr. Simon Umokoro of Maju Foundation and Dr. Temitope Arowoyan of Succor Health, both from the University of Ibadan.
Critical to turning around such candidates, a reliance on external IT partnerships assisting in harnessing their homegrown skills significantly weighs on how effectively we manage this program.
At boot camp, participants received the first of many IT skills acquisition components of the program from Mr. Sulaiman of Cybertalk Naija, who educated participants on the various IT skills and requirements to learn.
The network of corroboration including Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency, Ministry of Communications Technology, Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigerian Correction Services (Prisons), Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Police, Nigerian Bar Association and the Judiciary stand committed to support the pioneering endeavors of Velma-ARC.
As of 8 May 2020 Interpol National Central Bureau in Abuja Nigeria has agreed to forward their cybercriminals to our service.
IMG-20200207-WA0020.jpg Lecturer and V8
IMG-20200527-WA0007.jpg Graduation
A restorative justice program; firstly, it is a cost-effective way of dealing with cybercrime offenders; secondly, it reduces recidivism; thirdly, it lessens the workload of police and the justice system; fourthly, it is more humane with necessary and adequate treatment; fifthly, it differentiates between less serious offenders and repeat felons who need to be incarcerated.
Our program provides the solution to cybersecurity risks across all spectrum:
To the government, rehabilitated participants provide information and assistance to government agencies that would aid in investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes.
To the IT companies, converting malicious cybercriminals who hitherto exploited vulnerabilities to a cybersecurity expert, helping test and identify loopholes in cybersecurity infrastructure.
To the society, undertaking community services and engaging in a wide range of outreach activities, to protect against and discourage cybercrimes.
To the justice-seeking victims of cybercrime, to investigate trends, identify and locate the crimes, hand over results to law enforcement agencies and aid the prosecution of the cybercriminal in question.
To the administration of the justice sector, we ensure that convicted cybercriminals do not go back to the crime after serving their punishments because they would have been reformed and rehabilitated.
To the repentant cybercriminals, we provide alternative sources of income and employability, reducing the number of unemployment in Nigeria and providing economic empowerment. We also give them an easy path back into society.
Our intervention is a complementary intervention to aid the activities of law enforcement agencies in curbing cybercrimes.
IMG-20200207-WA0020.jpg Lecturer and team
IMG-20200203-WA0023.jpgMarketplace
IMG-20200527-WA0007.jpg Graduation
- Organizations (B2B)
Designed with sustainability in mind, we would secure a venue for the program for 10 years, thus reducing overheads.
Inducted into our Cybercrime Intervention Hub, the participants will provide recent information to law enforcement agencies in order to aid in the detection, investigation, arrest, prosecution of cybercrimes in Nigeria.
Budgeted for 100 participants for a year in 2 batches; the graduates from the 1st batch of 50 will work with the original graduates of 8 to provide income generating services at the Hub, which would yield financial income by the time the 2nd batch of 50 would graduate from camp.
By the 3rd batch, saving costs on IT training and facilitators leveraging our experience to sustain operations, our recurrent expenditure would reduce significantly by this time, while our income increases.
By the end of 10 years, the Centre would become self-sufficient because its upward income would be inversely proportional to its expenditure.
Victims – local and foreign – will receive assistance from the Hub. Participants will have the responsibility of assisting victims to find their fraudsters, locate stealth criminal cyber activities and report findings to law enforcement agencies like Interpol Nigeria.
In addition, we intend to produce a subscription based cyber security publication, disseminating cyber-related information, an essential part of our overall function.
Participants will graduate to become facilitators and share ownership of the Centre. The Centre will be open to all Youths of all ages interested in fighting cyber crimes. It will be a community based Centre.
...for resource-depleted organizations,... to draw on the expertise of passionate volunteers.1
To effectively establish institutional mechanisms for managing cyber security, Velma-ARC recognizes the tactical employment of technology as a sensible starting point in the disaggregation of cyber terrorism.
Velma-ARC`s restorative justice program as support for those youths trapped in the vicious cycle of cybercrime serves as the way forward. Additionally, to mitigate youths' risks associated with cybercrime activities, Velma-ARC serves to effectively link our repentant youths to inclusive, sustainable, and market-driven employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. As a positive contribution in society, we enable the individual to seek a life, earn a living, live as a respectable citizen without being corrupted by crime as an escape from the prevailing conditions.
For the very purpose of youth empowerment and entrepreneurship incentives to hitherto unemployed youths caught up in cybercrime activities we seek the partnership of Solve.
Inviting buy-ins to enhance the success of our mission, Velma-ARC weighs heavily on the value system integration of partnerships with programs like Solve contributing to, and optimizing the efficiency to effectively curb the perpetration of cybercrime.
Velma-ARC will consolidate strategic partnerships with organisations offering such programs like Solve to build markets for vocational training, prepare youths to successfully respond to current and future market demands, to lead productive lives, and positively contribute to society.
Strengthening capabilities in various cross-sectoral partnerships, this collaboration with Solve would serve to regain in our youths a sense of self-reliance and contribute positively to society at large.
1. https://warontherocks.com/2020...
2. Proposal.pdf
- Solution technology
- Funding and revenue model
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Marketing, media, and exposure
- Other
Several countries ... did not possess the means or tools to address the problem, without obtaining or seizing keys from the suspect.1
To out-smart the cybercrime-curbing institutions, Velma-ARC recognizes that cybercriminals, in hacking, possess specialized skills in demand. As such, exposure to these techniques would contribute positively to the efforts of these institutions.
...rather than their ability to exploit flashy zero-day vulnerabilities or deploy highly bespoke malware, it is often their operational capabilities that make the difference.2
In aiming to support their ICT skills acquisition, and aid them becoming efficient stakeholders in fighting cybercrimes, the outreach of Solve would not only enhance their employability, but cultivate practical tools to identify and respond to problems that reduces future risks and provides opportunities to learn prosocial strategies and coping techniques.
This alliance would consolidate Velma-ARC as the catalyst for change.
1 https://www.academia.edu/7731951/Comprehensive_Study_on_Cybercrime
Fields of support include those specialists of:
Psychology: Criminology
Criminal Justice / Correctional Services
Cyber crime Intervention
Cyber security services
Law enforcement agencies
Bar Associations
Judiciary
Financial Technology institutions
Financial Crimes Commission
Information and Communications Technology
Communication and Digital Economy
Education: Cyber security awareness
Below highlights the importance of collaboration, where the expertise offered serves to effectively shape our program.
As held from January 20-February 16th 2020, the rehabilitation process began with a personality assessment test administered by the psychology team both from the University of Ibadan. We concluded Day 1 with an interactive session discussing the various reasons people engage in cybercrime. We identified financial difficulties, peer pressure, unemployment/lack of alternatives and misinformation as some of the major reasons.
We thereafter received the first of many IT skills acquisition components of the program from Cybertalk Naija, educating participants on the various IT skills and requirements to learn each. They were introduced to cyber security, python programming, social engineering and big data analysis. The participants were very excited and responsive to all the IT sessions, asking relevant questions and participating actively.
Law enforcement agencies and other ICT intervention organizations across the country send candidates for rehabilitation. As of 8 May 2020 Interpol National Central Bureau in Abuja Nigeria has agreed to forward their cybercriminals to our service.
It is with this experience, we are able to scale the significance, the impact and the effect of influence on defining the model of our Velma-ARC initiative.
IMG-20200207-WA0020.jpg lecturer and V8
Most notably in Nigeria, the challenges of protecting the impoverished are compounded by deteriorating socio-economic fragility exacerbating the need to turn to crime, and in desperation for refugee mobility as ways out. With over 98 m in poverty and over 55.4% unemployed, it is critical to curtail such diaspora.
Cybercrimes produce a dangerous generation of corrupted people who continue to abuse due process and rule of law. It increases criminal cartels, cultism and secret societies, as in the Boko Haram, that eventually lead a violent economy in the near future, especially when they control the polity and policy making process.
The prevalence of fear of attack and real destruction of lives and prosperity aided and abetted by Internet have devastating effects on human security; lives lost, family dislocation, poor health-service delivery, school closure, stoppage of farming activities and other means of likelihood.
In effect, the threat of cyber-terrorism cannot but increase in intensity as long as there are knowledgeable and skilled youths occupying positions of authority in terrorist organizations.
Since poverty and unemployment are attributes of human insecurity, Velma-ARC`s sincere commitment towards infrastructural development will serve to curb cybercrime activity, boost economic production and ensure employment generation.
The restorative justice program for those trapped in the vicious cycle of cybercrime is the way forward.
To effectively establish institutional mechanisms for managing cyber security, Velma-ARC recognizes the tactical employment of technology as a sensible starting point in the disaggregation of cyber terrorism, the driving force of change.
1. Proposal.pdf
To out-smart cybercrime-curbing institutions, Velma-ARC recognizes the fact that cybercriminals, in their association with hacking, possess specialized skills which are required by the combating institutions for cybercrime to be controlled. As such, exposure to the techniques of cybercriminals would contribute positively to the efforts of these institutions.
Prioritizing access to income generating opportunities, Velma-ARC endeavors to forge long-lasting strategic partnerships committed to cybercrime prevention and creating shared value in the community. By responding to the unique conditions of youth and focusing on the youths' psycho-social needs, Velma-ARC has created a program to engage former youth offenders.
The Velma-ARC initiative is a restorative justice program; firstly, it is a cost-effective way of dealing with cybercrime offenders; secondly, it reduces recidivism; thirdly, it lessens the workload of police and justice system; fourthly, it is more humane with necessary and adequate treatment; fifthly, it differentiates between less serious offenders and repeat felons who need to be incarcerated.
As of 8 May 2020 Interpol Nigeria has agreed to our services.
Additionally, to mitigate youths' risks associated with cybercrime activities, Velma-ARC serves to effectively link our repentant youths to inclusive, sustainable, and market-driven employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
It is a novel idea, which has only been mooted by various stakeholders in concept but never been executed, till we did it with measured results.
We believe this intervention is required for a holistic fight against cybercrimes in Nigeria. We are confident this model can be copied in other countries with similar situations as Nigeria.
1. Proposal.pdf
... cybersecurity awareness training is considered to be an effective preventative measure in order to harden the softest component, human vulnerability...Likewise, many cybersecurity experts and scholars assert that cybersecurity awareness education and training is one of the most significant aspects for individuals to effectively fight against cyberthreats. 1
One of the vital measures to be taken is to cultivate knowledge and awareness among Internet users from their early age. Young children specifically, need to be educated to operate in a safe manner in cyberspace and to protect themselves in the process.
However, there are several challenges to cybersecurity education. Teachers lack knowledge and expertise regarding cyberspace. Schools and government ministries may lack resources and facilities to implement cybersecurity education. The speed of technological change results in new risks, requiring new solutions.
Educators need to disseminate cybersecurity messages in order to promote responsible online behaviour. It is very important for all relevant parties, including teachers, parents, peers and the government, to work together to find the best solution to protecting children from cybercrime and cyberbullying through school-based cybersecurity education.
Building such a bottom-up network is an intrinsic element in creating a national grassroots cyber awareness network that can work on a local, regional and national level in order to provide training, inform policing initiatives and even shape governmental policy on issues of online harms and risks.
2. Proposal.pdf
4. IMG-20200127-WA0007.jpg students and V8
In 2008, scammers tried to obtain banking information from Americans receiving stimulus checks during the economic downturn. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers are working overtime—hawking fake cures and investments schemes, selling personal protective equipment without the inventory on hand, and looking to take advantage of a more concentrated online presence during a time of increased telework and distance learning.1
Fighting cybercrime is important for cybersecurity purposes. Cyberwar is the future of war, and cybercriminals are the rogue mercenaries enlisted in cyberwarfare.
IT companies invest a lot of money on IT infrastructure, national governments identify communications infrastructure as critical infrastructures. This class of infrastructure must be protected against cybercriminals who target information integrity and availability.
The Time Magazine listed Nigeria as the 4th Top Cyber crime Hot spot in the world in 2014, only behind Russia, China and Brazil. “The original home of low-tech scam emails,” Nigeria is the headquarters of cybercrimes in Africa.
With the growing sophistication of the Nigerian youth in cyber competencies, they can acquire the capability with global damaging capacity. Evidence shows the manipulative drive of the terrorist group Boko Haram, which has leveraged on the vulnerability of the Nigerian youth to deepen their process and drive for recruitment and radicalization, targeting mostly disaffected and unemployed youths who live in hostile environments; the UNDP quotes in 2019 Nigeria has over 98 m poor people, the highest in the world, youth underemployed or unemployed, the rate being 55.4% despite qualifications. These factors put together makes Nigeria a rich ground for cyber terrorism.
The tactical employment of technology is a sensible starting point in the disaggregation of cyber terrorism.
'...cybercriminals cannot be juxtaposed with law enforcement agencies who are mere government officials that are ill-trained, poorly remunerated and who offer their services without proper security and protection...' 2
Campaigns will often deploy tools that are not publicly available, meaning operators can only be taught how to use them after they have joined on..... This means that newcomers will require years of on-the-job training to fully master the required tradecraft and discipline.3
To out-smart the cybercrime-curbing institutions, Velma-ARC recognizes the fact that cybercriminals, in their association with hacking, possess specialized skills which are required by the combating institutions for cybercrime to be controlled. As such, exposure to the techniques of cybercriminals would contribute positively to the efforts of these institutions.
To avert such threats of criminal activity, the Velma-ARC initiative delves into 4th Industrial Revolution 4IR technology to deny criminals of cyber-safety, eliminating the resources that aid them to carry out cyber attacks.
Digital tools are playing an increasingly prominent role in facilitating criminal justice stakeholders blunting cyber challenges from reoccurring. States are deploying sophisticated surveillance tools augmented by artificial intelligence from location-tracking spyware and hi-resolution video surveillance, to hacking software, and censorship filtering applications.
Monitoring security and sharing information via a trusted source is such a solution. A good example is the CyberNet 4, an online platform developed and managed by Israel's National Computer Emergency Response Team CERT and part of Israel's National Cyber Directorate INCD. The incentives for participation are access to data that help companies to identify potential threats.
Creation of a safe cyber environment through integrated information operation IO is ideal for contemporary counter terrorism campaigns.
In supplying facial recognition technology and advanced analytic tools criminal justice stakeholders can counter cyber attacks; operations that manipulate software, data, computer systems, or networks to degrade operational capabilities or collect information.
As threat vectors are constantly changing, so too is technology. The very urgency to curb the frequency and outsmart the next wave of malicious attacks positions Velma-ARC squarely on the relevance of our time. 5
The presence of AI surveillance technology means that governments are capable of using such technology for legitimate purposes. Research on the global expansion of AI surveillance by intercepting communications, penetrating computers, and deploying location-tracking applications is becoming more widely adopted.
Huawei, is setting up advanced “safe city” platforms, offering facial recognition and intelligent video surveillance systems to monitor repressive cyber actors, and provide advanced analytic capabilities.
Predictive analytics technology through this use of geospatial data is one such solution;
What has transpired? What is transpiring? What will transpire?
The Nigeria security agencies can use predictive analytics technology to predict, prevent and counter cyber-attacks. The employment of geospatial data will enable to swiftly develop a counter strategy to alleviate potential threats of cybercrime.
AI-based surveillance offers many unique advantages over conventional tools. It enhances cost efficiencies, decreases reliance on security forces, and allows authorities to “cast a much wider net than traditional methods.” 6
The use of 4IR technologies such as machine learning algorithms and AI are sure ways of combating cyber attacks. Since terrorism infiltrates cyberspace, the use of technologies remains the sustainable mechanisms to overcome cybercriminal activity.
To avert the impending dooms, it is imperative for Nigeria to integrate the 4IR technology in the counter terrorism strategies.
The cyber crime industry is an enormous one. The gains to cyber criminals and loss to businesses are huge. There is the need to do everything to stop cybercrimes before cyberspace becomes unsafe for all of us and our coming generation.
Inviting buy-ins to enhance the success of our mission, Velma-ARC weighs heavily on the value system integration of ICT partnerships contributing to, and optimizing the efficiency to effectively curb the perpetration of cyber crime.
For the purpose of youth empowerment and entrepreneurship incentives to hitherto unemployed youths caught up in cybercrime activities we seek the support of the AI for Humanity Prize.
The nature of cybercrimes demands a coordinated and comprehensive approach that involves all stakeholders, from whom well-structured strategies can be devised.
...rather than their ability to exploit flashy zero-day vulnerabilities or deploy highly bespoke malware, it is often their operational capabilities that make the difference.7
Organizational structures, for example, will need to reflect the need for international and regional cooperation in cybercrime prevention.
...the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre’s information sharing partnership and Industry 100 schemes facilitate vital public-private collaboration in key areas of critical infrastructure...8
Methods will need to ensure a constantly updated picture of cyber threats, and approaches will need to involve a range of stakeholders – in particular the private sector organizations that own and operate internet infrastructure and services.
Strengthening capabilities in various ICT fields, and aiding them becoming efficient stakeholders in fighting cyber crimes, the AI for Humanity Prize would contribute greatly to foster the capacity of ICT skills enhancement in our candidates. This investment would make them not only employable in the international ICT market but would channel the certified participants to provide recent information to law enforcement agencies in order to aid in the detection, investigation, arrest, prosecution of cyber crimes in Nigeria.
The rehabilitated unethical cyberspace actors will use their knowledge and experience to assist law enforcement agents. They will work together with criminal justice stakeholders to expose new trends in cyber threats and plug loopholes constantly exploited by cyber criminals.
Civilian volunteers can instead make a much more outsized contribution by working with pockets of government where cyber security expertise is harder to come by. 9
Law enforcement agencies and other ICT intervention organizations across the country have started sending candidates for rehabilitation. As of 8 May 2020 Interpol National Central Bureau in Abuja Nigeria has agreed to forward their cybercriminals to our service.
Velma-ARC`s restorative justice program as support for those youths trapped in the vicious cycle of cybercrime serves as the way forward. Additionally, to mitigate youths' risks associated with cybercrime activities, Velma-ARC serves to effectively link our repentant youths to inclusive, sustainable, and market-driven employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. As a positive contribution in society, we enable the individual to seek a life, earn a living, live as a respectable citizen without being corrupted by crime as an escape from the prevailing conditions.
In general, cybersecurity awareness training is considered to be an effective preventative measure in order to harden the softest component, human vulnerability. The studies in this issue suggest that cybercrime awareness campaigns and building socially constructed norms for online users will improve human vulnerabilities to cybercrime. Likewise, many cybersecurity experts and scholars assert that cybersecurity awareness education and training is one of the most significant aspects for individuals to effectively fight against cyber threats. 10
Velma-ARC recognizes the very importance to protect society in general, and children in particular, through cybersecurity education in order to become aware of the potential risks faced when using internet communication tools, such as social media, chatting and online gaming.
Due to the generally low to moderate level of awareness among Internet users, one of the vital measures to be taken is to cultivate knowledge and awareness among Internet users from their early age. Young children specifically, need to be educated to operate in a safe manner in cyberspace and to protect themselves in the process.
However, there are several challenges to cybersecurity education. Teachers lack knowledge and expertise regarding cyberspace. Schools and government ministries may lack resources and facilities to implement cybersecurity education. The speed of technological change results in new risks, requiring new solutions.
Educators need to disseminate cybersecurity messages in order to promote responsible online behavior. It is very important for all relevant parties, including teachers, parents, peers and the government, to work together to find the best solution to protecting children from cybercrime and cyberbullying through school-based cybersecurity education.
Building such a bottom-up network is an intrinsic element in creating a national grassroots cyber awareness network that can work on a local, regional and national level in order to provide training, inform policing initiatives and even shape governmental policy on issues of online harms and risks.
AI for Humanity Prize would play a pivotal role in steering such a course.
Our mission Velma-ARC is one solution; We eradicate cybercrimes in Nigeria, we rid the world of a huge portion of cybercrime incidents. If successful, we replicate it in other low profile countries especially in Africa in order to discourage vulnerable youths from engaging in cybercrimes.
It is a novel idea, which has only been mooted by various stakeholders in concept but never been executed, till we did it with measured results. We believe that this intervention with support of AI for Humanity Prize would be fundamental for a holistic fight against cyber crimes not only in Nigeria but in the world at large.
1.The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Marks Its 20th Year — FBI
3. Cyber Reserves Are Not a Silver Bullet
4. Cybernet: A New Israeli Cybersecurity Social Network
5. ic3-20th-anniversary-infographic.jpg
6. https://warontherocks.com/author/steven-feldstein/
7. Cyber Reserves Are Not a Silver Bullet
8. ibid
9. ibid
10. (Abawjy, Thatcher, & Kim, 2008; Back, LaPrade, Shehadeh, & Kim, 2019; Dodge, Carver, & Ferguson, 2007).
11. Proposal.pdf
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Co-Founder and Executive Director