The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT) has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Wellness to assist in the recent data breach at the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA).

Daryl Vaz, minister of technology, shared the news with Our Today in response to a series of questions about the recent attack at the regional health authority.

SERHA revealed on Thursday (January 26) that it was the victim of a cyber attack that affected its information and communications technology (ICT) and other services to the public.

“It has come to my attention that there have been several attempts on government entities. SERHA is one and I know that they are working with the JaCIRT in my ministry, with the Ministry of Health,” he told Our Today.

Established under the Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy 2015, JaCIRT is responsible for identifying, managing and monitoring external threats, maintaining cyber security standards and proposing controls to minimise risks.

Vaz noted that cyber attacks on government entities have increased, especially coming into 2023 and the end of 2022.

“The increase in the digital footprint presents an ever expanding attack surface of malicious threat actors in cyber space. This has given rise to more frequent attacks, greater levels of sophistication in the attacks and more elaborate means of obscurity,” said the minister during the launch of the Flow Foundation’s ‘Connected + Protected Safer Internet 2023’ campaign at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston in St Andrew yesterday (January 1).

He then told Our Today that the Government is reviewing the Cyber Security Act and they are hopeful that it will help to “put some teeth into the legislation, so that we can really hold these people responsible”.

The data breach at SERHA was brought to the public’s attention by Junior Opposition Spokesperson on Technology, Omar Newell who demanded transparency on the incident.

“Minister Tufton should inform the country on whether the Ministry of Health and Wellness and/or SERHA has an IT Oversight Committee, whether and when eGov and/or JaCIRT have been brought in to assist, and whether the matter has in fact been referred to law enforcement,” said Newell in a release.

While Vaz has confirmed that JaCIRT has been brought in to assist SERHA, he shared with Our Today that he has no other information on the matter.

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