Cybersecurity is important because it encompasses everything that pertains to protecting our sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), personal information, intellectual property, data, and governmental and industry information systems from theft and damage attempted by criminals and adversaries. ( Abi Tyas Tunggal July 2020)
Trinidad and Tobago like many advanced countries have upgraded to 5G technology. With the advent of 5G network. According to The Brookings Institute, “5G networks thus create a greatly expanded, multidimensional cyberattack vulnerability. It is this redefined nature of networks—a new network “ecosystem of ecosystems”—that requires a similarly redefined cyber strategy.”
Further stating that with the increase in cyber vulnerabilities of software, it would be difficult to retool how organisations would secure their most important networks.
The massive increase in hacks and hacking attempts has caused cybersecurity to become an unavoidable topic of discussion in the past several years. Events that occur in the cybersecurity industry can and often do have global consequences and the possibility of catastrophic results.
It now seems that monthly, or sometimes even weekly, there is a segment in world news dedicated to discussing the results of a data breach at a major company, or a notice that hackers have captured a local computer network and are holding it hostage in exchange for vast sums of money (also called ransomware.)
Depending on the people doing the hacking, their goals and targets could be as simple as stealing personal information from people using public Wi-Fi, or they could be more devastating such as shutting down a city or country’s power grid to cause mass panic among the public. We’ve seen in recent times here in Trinidad an increase in ATM crime/fraud and hacking.
With the advent of a massive leap to be more ICT proficient and to promote more online business, both in the Public and Private Sector. Trinidad and Tobago would now have to invest heavily in Cyber Security Awareness. Especially as our Energy sector is solely dependent on ICT driven platforms.
This international best practice is beyond the corridors of National Security only. This is a whole of government and inter-ministerial move. It will be imperative that a national initiative for Training, equipping and financing for Cyber Security Awareness be implemented with urgency.
Trinidad and Tobago must be complemented in advancing the Cyber Crime Bill 2017. The message must be reinforced that there is support to this initiative, by the inclusion and advancement of laws and legislation for the new dynamic of Cyber Security, in the rapidly emerging environment.
