Opposition technology spokesperson Dr Andre Houghton has called on the government to take “swift and decisive” action to stop the “alarming surge” in cyberattacks against state institutions.
His call followed news that the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) was the victim of a ransomware attack in February. The agency has spent more than $36 million to restore and strengthen its information technology systems.
In the past 12 months, state oil refiner Petrojam and regulator Financial Services Commission have come under similar attack.
Horton said there was a “disturbing pattern” underway that “results in significant financial losses and national security threats.”
“Recent cyber attacks, including significant breaches at Petrojam and the Financial Services Commission, have exposed significant vulnerabilities in Jamaica's cyber infrastructure. These breaches not only disrupt critical services, but also “This undermines investor confidence and undermines national economic stability.” Saturday's statement.
A spokesperson for the People's National Party proposed a “comprehensive strategy” to address the vulnerabilities.
This includes an immediate audit of all government systems. Establish agency security standards. Fully fund eGov, the national IT authority. Investing in advanced cybersecurity technology. Encourage collaboration. This includes strengthening regulatory systems and developing detailed response strategies.
Mr Houghton said he was ready to work with authorities on the issue and that failure to address the issue quickly “could seriously impede Jamaica's economic growth and jeopardize national security.” Ta.
Jamaica's National Certification Authority and National Compliance and Regulatory Authority, which share a campus with BSJ, were also affected by the attack.
On Wednesday, Dr. Belton Gooden, executive director of BSJ, acknowledged: The Gleaner It was revealed that a large number of files that he shared between various individuals under the guise of “working documents” were encrypted.
However, Gooden said BSJ's core systems were not affected and no data was deleted or extracted from the ICT environment.
He said the breach was caused by a phishing attack, which compromised the credentials of some staff and potentially exposed BSJ's systems to malware.
In 2022, Godfie Stirling, head of the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team, a government agency, warned that Jamaica could become a soft target for chaotic cyber gangs cracking down on nefarious activities in Europe. At the time, he spoke about the country's weak cyber infrastructure.
He revealed last year that the government was considering establishing a new National Cyber Security Agency within the next two to four years.
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