Green…we are moving towards the development of a National Cybersecurity Agency (Photo: Philp Lemonte)
Rose Hall, St. James — Minister Without the Floyd Greene portfolio, the government is in the process of creating cybersecurity institutions and academies to accelerate its digital transformation agenda and strengthen its ability to address the rising incidence of cybersecurity breaches. I said yes.
Green made the announcement on Friday during a panel discussion on data privacy and security at TechBeach Retreat Jamaica 2022 held at the Iberostar Rose Hall Resort in the Montego Bay suburb of St. James.
He said Jamaica Observer In an interview following his presentation, he said the project, which will begin implementation next year, will be multiyear.
“One of the things we did was shoot 360 degrees.[-degree] See where we are on our transformational journey and how we can strengthen your cybersecurity apparatus. So we had a cybercrime law under review and we had a very small team, the Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT),” Green told the panel.
“Now we are moving towards the development of a national cybersecurity agency,” he continued, adding that funds were “allocated” for the creation of the body led by the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology. .
The Minister also shared that the government plans to establish a Cyber Security Academy in collaboration with international partners. When questioned further, he clarified that the European Union would provide assistance.
“What we want is a particular focus on training on cybersecurity, so we would like our partner, the EU, to consider how we can develop a national cybersecurity academy. In fact, it is to train in different levels of cybersecurity.is two major initiatives, led by ministers. [Daryl] Vaz’ Green is Sunday Observer.
Moreover, the EU already has expertise, so it can share how cybersecurity authorities should be structured and operated, he said.
These two initiatives will also strengthen JaCIRT’s response mechanisms to cybersecurity threats.
Two years after Congress passed the Data Protection Act, pressure was put on cybercrime authorities and academies to appoint an Information Commissioner to oversee the law’s implementation and enforcement. This law is based on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The law defines who owns data, so it gives data owners the right to consent to the collection and sharing of such data, Green said.
“But more importantly, data controllers now have a responsibility to be fair in their processing of data and not to take more data than necessary for their purposes,” he told the TechBeach Retreat audience. rice field.
However, noting the transformative impact of data protection laws, he said Jamaica was not the place it needed to be.To this end, he said the conference was one platform to get the message out. Told.
Emphasizing that “cybersecurity is everyone’s problem” and therefore all-inclusive, governments should work with the private sector to “train government cohorts on fundamental cybersecurity principles,” Green said. I’m looking to train,” he said.
The Ministry of Science and Technology will lead the formation of cybersecurity institutions and academies with the involvement of the private sector and international partners, while working with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Science and Technology. Education on project implementation.
So far, discussions have begun between various government agencies for implementation.
“We have already had preliminary meetings, we have already identified some funds, especially in relation to the side of the authorities, and we have already had preliminary meetings with universities on the academy side. It’s moving,” Greene revealed. Sunday Observer.
“We plan to have a comprehensive document ready by next year. [that outlines exactly what we want to do],” he added.
Commenting on the involvement of the private sector, the minister said that cybersecurity authorities will be government agencies, but that cybersecurity issues “are a bigger challenge for the private sector, but governments must provide some capacity.” Stated.
JaCIRT reports that 86 cybercrime cases were reported from October last year to this year. That’s more than double his 42 recorded over the same period from 2020-2021.
Since 2020, companies such as Massy Distribution Jamaica, VM Wealth Management, National Commercial Bank, the government’s JamCOVID website, and the Homeland Agency have reported either data breaches or cyberattacks.
When asked if these incidents were the basis for creating a cybersecurity agency and academy, Green said that as the country moves further into the digital age, “we need a framework to support it.
“So when you’re building a house, you have to look at the opportunities and the strengths…but when you look at the opportunities, you have to look at the challenges and be aware of the challenges,” he said. .
“What I would like Jamaicans to appreciate is the 360-degree approach to the problem of digital transformation. We don’t just put our expertise, we put our resources into it, on the security side,” he said. Observer.
The unportfolio minister at Floyd Green’s official residence (Photo: Philp Lemonte)
