Jamaica urged to increase cyber security focus
THOUGH Jamaica is not often considered a hard target for cyber criminals, Global Security Strategist and Threat Researcher from Fortinet, David Manky, urged local IT personnel and policymakers to start putting the threat of cyber attacks higher on the country’s agenda, based on global trends.
Manky was speaking at a Digicel Business-hosted roundtable discussion with a group of Jamaica’s top chief information officers (CIOs) from both private sector and Government, held on October 7, 2015 at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston.
“We must remember that cyber crime has no boundaries, so Jamaica is not immune,” said Manky. “On any given day in Jamaica, and even the wider Caribbean, we’re seeing where hundreds of thousands of attacks take place, so businesses and government organisations have to develop a cyber-security strategy and implement the technology necessary to protect themselves and their customers.”
The security expert also cautioned that while many considered cost to be a deterrent for investing in cyber security, the cost for dealing with the sometimes irreparable implications of cyber crime would be significantly more damaging for economies.
“The global problem of cybercrime is pegged anywhere between $400 billion and $600 billion today,” Manky said. “If you’re thinking about the return on investment, some of the big breaches that happen with customer data have cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars. It does not cost that much to invest in cyber security.”
Dr Louis Shallal, the newly appointed CIO to the Jamaican Government, who was in attendance, noted: “Cyber security is becoming an extremely important issue and Jamaica is no exception. It’s a concern that’s definitely very high on the agenda at a political level, and it’s also high at a senior executive level.
“My main thrust has always been on not if, but how we implement these solutions. So we’re currently in the process of developing the country’s cyber security strategy, which is very important to all of us as it affects us all. This discussion today was very timely also, as it is important for service providers and clients, like the GOJ, to have a clear understanding of each other’s capabilities so we can fill the gaps that exist in our understanding, knowledge, practices and procedures.”
Ative Ennis, head of enterprise solutions at Digicel Business, noted: “In addition to continuously sourcing the most advanced cyber- security solution sets for our customers, we want to ensure that they are fully aware of the cyber crime trends that are prevalent in the world today.
“Security for networks and businesses is more than just implementing a set of products and solutions; customers must be able to develop a comprehensive security strategy, and that’s why we saw it fit to invite Mr Manky here to speak to this group. We’re living in a global environment, so IT professionals must have a world view of the problem before they can even start to prepare themselves for the implications.”