Jamaica’s cybersecurity infrastructure has been strengthened through various initiatives collaboratively undertaken by regional and international partners says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang.

The Minister made the claim while addressing the opening ceremony for the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) regional cyber awareness session at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday (June 27).

Among the initiatives are a multi-agency US$10-million Cybersecurity Strengthening Project, led by the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport and being developed in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID); and significant investment to enhance the cybercrime investigative capacity of the Jamaica
Constabulary Force (JCF) under the Project PRO-CYBER initiative.

Others include the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee on cyber matters as well as a multi-stakeholder approach to the legislative review and development, specifically, the current review of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015, which is before the Joint Select Committee of Parliament.

Dr Chang reiterated that cyberthreats are global in nature; therefore, cybercrime is not restricted by borders and neither are cybercriminals.

He added that collaboration with regional and international partners is particularly beneficial in sharing threat intelligence, which helps the Government to identify and respond to cyberthreats more effectively and protect against common attack vectors.

“Cooperation initiatives with regional entities, such as CARICOM IMPACS, and international organisations, such as the European Union, as demonstrated today, [are] part of the Government’s thrust in collaboratively working to improve cybersecurity locally and, by extension, regionally and globally,” the Minister said.

Dr Chang indicated that the Government has also collaborated with CARICOM in the ongoing United Nations (UN) Ad Hoc Committee process on cybercrime, established with the aim of elaborating a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes.

He informed that Jamaica coordinates and generally presents CARICOM’s positions as a regional body rather than on a country level in this process.

“This has been instrumental in strengthening the voice of small developing states to help shape the global cyber legislative framework,” Dr Chang stated.

He said training and skills development is another benefit that the Government has been able to derive from collaboration with regional and international partners.

Dr. Chang explained that in 2022 and 2023, the Government partnered with institutions such as the Organization of American States (OAS), CARICOM IMPACS, the E-Governance Academy of Estonia, the United States Embassy and the United Kingdom High Commission to access training and skills development opportunities for Jamaicans.

He said this has helped the Government to keep abreast of the latest threats, technologies, and defence strategies.

The Minister emphasised that collaboration in learning helps enhance cyber awareness, technical expertise, and the ability to respond effectively to emerging cyber risks.

“As Jamaica embraces the benefits of technology, we must continue to confront the challenges posed by cyberthreats. Enhancing cyber resilience by promoting cyber awareness and collaboration are essential in safeguarding the nation and, by extension, the region’s cyber infrastructure,” he said.

Dr Chang underscored that by investing in a robust cybersecurity framework, educating the population and working together to share intelligence and best practices, Jamaica will be able to establish a safer digital environment for citizens and partners.