Cyber threats have become a daily reality for Nigeria’s startups and small businesses, threatening customer data and disrupting operations. The surge in attacks highlights an urgent need for security practices that are both effective and manageable for lean teams.
Security analyst Rianat Abbas has made it her mission to bridge this gap. Since 2021, she has focused on how everyday flaws—like poorly configured cloud services, vague access controls, and unmonitored SaaS apps—leave Nigerian SMEs open to cybercriminals. Rather than dwell on international threats, Abbas zeroed in on the unique vulnerabilities faced by local businesses.
Her research revealed that most Nigerian SMEs operate with minimal security oversight. Many use personal devices for work, share files over unsecured messaging platforms, and rarely review system logs. These habits, she found, create easy entry points for ransomware and phishing attacks—problems that cost mid-sized Nigerian businesses over ₦150 million per incident on average.
Abbas responded by developing a straightforward, “secure-by-design” roadmap tailored to the constraints of small companies. Her approach is refreshingly direct: map how data flows through the organization, define who can access what, and set up simple monitoring to alert teams to suspicious activity. Crucially, Abbas recommends lightweight analytics over complex enterprise tools, ensuring that even startups with limited budgets can protect themselves.
Her influence is spreading. Software architect Sule Olanrewaju notes, “Rianat’s frameworks make security accessible. She gives founders a way to protect their products without breaking the bank.”
Recent data backs up Abbas’ concerns: Kaspersky tracked over 16 million cyber-attacks in Nigeria in just six months of 2021, while Sophos reported that 71% of local businesses faced ransomware in the same year. The Cyber Security Expert Association of Nigeria recorded an 87% spike in phishing targeting small businesses in 2022. Many of these incidents go unreported, as SMEs fear reputational harm.
Abbas’s real contribution is changing the cybersecurity mindset. She argues that security isn’t just an IT add-on—it’s a core principle that should shape every stage of product development. Her frameworks, now used in industry workshops and playbooks, show teams how early threat identification and clear access policies can dramatically cut risk exposure.
Today, Abbas works directly with business incubators and professional associations, helping startups integrate predictive analytics and monitoring into their daily routines. As cyber threats become more sophisticated and automated, the need for her practical, accessible advice has never been greater.
By championing simple, proactive security, Rianat Abbas is helping Nigerian startups build trust with customers and create a safer digital future—proving that cyber resilience is within reach, even for the smallest teams.
