NDPR and Penetration Testing

The Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) establishes the legal framework for safeguarding personal data in the Nigerian cyber landscape. Penetration testing validates the technical and organizational measures required under the regulation.

What is NDPR?

Issued by NITDA, NDPR grants Nigerian citizens enforceable rights over how their personal data is collected, processed and stored. Key obligations include obtaining consent, preventing unauthorized disclosure and reporting breaches promptly.

Where Penetration Testing Comes In

  • Validate data protection controls such as firewalls, encryption and access management
  • Identify vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them
  • Strengthen breach preparedness with realistic attack simulations
  • Provide regulatory assurance through audit-ready reports

How Exploit Forge Enables Compliance

Our NDPR-aligned services include application and cloud testing, internal threat simulation and executive-level reporting that maps findings directly to NDPR obligations.

NDPR & Penetration Testing: Operationalizing Data Protection in the Nigerian Cyber Landscape

With data fast becoming the backbone of digital economies, protecting it is no longer a luxury, it’s a regulatory mandate. In Nigeria, that mandate is governed by the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), which establishes the legal framework for safeguarding personal data in digital environments. At Exploit Forge, we believe that true data protection is only achievable through proactive offensive security. Penetration testing serves as a critical instrument for validating technical and organizational measures required under NDPR ensuring not only legal compliance but real-world readiness.

What is NDPR?

The NDPR, issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), aims to ensure that Nigerian citizens and residents have enforceable rights over how their personal data is collected, processed, and stored.

  • Obtaining consent before data collection
  • Ensuring data confidentiality, integrity, and availability
  • Preventing unauthorized access or disclosure
  • Reporting data breaches promptly
  • Implementing and demonstrating adequate security controls

Where Penetration Testing Comes In

  • Validate Data Protection Controls: Assess whether implemented controls (e.g., firewalls, encryption, access control) actually defend against modern threat vectors.
  • Identify Vulnerabilities Before They Are Exploited: Discover flaws in web applications, APIs, mobile platforms, and cloud environments that process personal data.
  • Strengthen Breach Preparedness: Map attack paths and data exfiltration techniques that could be used to compromise or leak sensitive information.
  • Provide Regulatory Assurance: Penetration test reports can be used as evidence to demonstrate that the organization is actively working to mitigate risks to data subjects.

How Exploit Forge Enables NDPR Compliance

  • Application Security Assessments: Targeting vulnerabilities in public-facing applications and back-end services that process personal data.
  • Cloud & API Penetration Testing: Evaluating identity misconfigurations, insecure storage, and third-party integrations common in cloud-native architectures.
  • Infrastructure Testing & Internal Threat Simulation: Exploring internal misconfigurations, privilege escalation paths, and lateral movement scenarios to test data access restrictions.
  • Executive-Level Reporting & Remediation Advisory: Actionable, board-ready reporting that links vulnerabilities directly to NDPR obligations with remediation guidance that enables sustainable fixes.

A Compliance Checklist: How Penetration Testing Supports NDPR

NDPR Requirement How Penetration Testing Helps
Ensure Data Security Validates technical controls, detects unpatched systems
Prevent Breaches Simulates attacker behavior to identify gaps
Demonstrate Due Diligence Provides audit-ready reports showing risk-based testing
Manage Third Parties Tests data processors and external vendors
Incident Response Preparedness Reveals likely breach vectors and data exfiltration paths

How Often Should You Test?

For NDPR compliance and practical security, we recommend biannual penetration testing for core systems and quarterly testing for high-risk applications or infrastructure. Every time there is a major update or architectural shift, re-testing is critical to maintain continuous assurance.

Exploit Forge: Your NDPR-Aligned Offensive Security Partner

As Nigeria’s leading offensive security firm, Exploit Forge offers pentesting engagements grounded in both regulatory understanding and deep technical expertise. We don’t just report vulnerabilities—we expose weaknesses attackers would exploit and arm your team with strategies to close those gaps decisively.

Are You NDPR-Compliant or Just Hoping You Are?

Get ahead of regulatory scrutiny and digital threats. Partner with Exploit Forge for strategic, NDPR-focused penetration testing that turns compliance into confidence. Contact Us