National cyber response team ramps up effort to tackle emerging threats

The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT) is ramping up its efforts to tackle emerging cyberthreats through strategic investments, public education and advanced technology integration.

Director of JaCIRT, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Godphey Sterling, said the organisation has adopted a tiered approach to cyber defence, ensuring multiple layers of protection and resilience against potential breaches.

“Also, we continue to monitor and to treat with the implications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing. The AI Task Force has submitted its report, and we look forward to ... the recommendations that will come out of that, so that we can incorporate some in our cybersecurity efforts,” he said.

Lt Col Sterling also noted that the organisation is upgrading its suite of cybersecurity tools, including the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) to address the increasing complexity of cyberthreats.

“We will never get the sort of numbers [staffing] to do some of these things manually. AI allows us to recognise trends more quickly and consistently, whether it is for a vulnerability or a breach,” the director explained.

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Additionally, the JaCIRT is working to raise awareness among vulnerable groups, including seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities.

Outreach initiatives include producing educational materials tailored for different age groups and using various platforms, such as social media, billboards and traditional media, to disseminate critical information.

“We are not waiting on persons to ask us to do an engagement with them. We are seeing where the needs are and we are reaching out to ensure that we get that message across,” Lt Col Sterling said.

The JaCIRT is also expanding the operations centre from an eight-to-five schedule to a 24/7 system.

This change aims to improve the monitoring of cyber activities and ensure timely responses to incidents, especially during weekends and public holidays.

CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS DAY

Meanwhile, persons are being encouraged to participate in activities slated for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month during October under the theme ‘Building Resilience – Securing Our Nation’.

The events will be hosted by JaCIRT.

The month will kick off with a launch event on October 9 at Jamaica House, with each week, thereafter, focusing on a specific topic.

These include ‘Securing Digital Assets’, ‘Minimising Digital Footprint’, and ‘Ransomware As An Existential Dilemma’.

Other programmed engagements include lectures and webinars, a cyber careers symposium targeting students at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels and untrained employees working in the field.

National Cybersecurity Awareness Day, to be observed on October 31, will feature a variety of activities aimed at further educating the public about cybersecurity during JaCIRT’s annual exposition.

Sterling notes that the observance is consistent with the “global effort to ramp up awareness-building throughout the month of October”.

“In Jamaica, we have four weeks of activities planned … to amplify national awareness around cybersafety,” Col. Sterling said.

Col. Sterling urged persons and organisations keen on safeguarding themselves against cybersecurity threats and attack, to participate in the month-long activities.

“Almost all of our devices are being connected over the Internet, which means both personal and business data can be easily accessed. This gives attackers increased opportunity to steal data and compromise systems. As such, security best practices, increased knowledge and understanding of the vulnerabilities and how we can keep our information assets safe is a start to developing better cyber [safeguards],” he emphasised.