In the article by the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) titled Cyber Security – “Are We Ready in Latin America and the Caribbean” is about a detailed report from collaborative industry experts who present a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the state of Cyber Security of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The report is designed in two main stages:
- Expert Contributions: which consists of essays that are done and researched by Cyber Security experts.
- Country Reports: these are reports that are done for individual countries showing an overview of the current state of Cyber Security in the countries in the LAC region.
According to the article, James A. Lewis stated that “Addressing these challenges requires diplomatic efforts and international cooperation. One thing we have learned in Cyber Security is that no nation by itself can adequately secure its networks. Cooperation is essential.” This statement, however, is powerful because it speaks value to the whole notion of Cyber Security. It isn’t so much about the complex technologies measures that are put into place but the cooperation that it’s getting from the governing body. This makes regional efforts all the more important, particularly given the links between cyber security, development, and economic growth. If Jamaica is planning on moving forward and unleashing its potential in the Cyber Security space, it has to take great advantage of the global internet, and that take advantage of internet services grows faster and becomes wealthier.
In an effort to build confidence, governments need highly trained and qualified cyber security staff having a minimum, a national CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team). Having these measures in place to build confidence with our own nation and also our neighbouring countries.
As internet adoption continues to grow with high rates, the government has an opportunity to work with private, civil, and public sectors to provide great Incident Response assistance to the developing country. As noticed, there will always be room for improvement in the Latin Americas and the Caribbean. The current state of the digital economy in Latin America and the Caribbean leaves much to be thought about. For example, Data & Privacy on the internet has led to a patchwork of standards and different levels of protection across the region.
“With all these developments, cyber risks are increasingly becoming a concern and fast becoming a factor in broader security and economic policy-making considerations” – World Economic Forum
Reference: publications.iadb.org
Contributed by: Daval Gregory from Jamaica. Daval is a member of the CCST Discord group from the G5 Cyber Security Foundation Ltd. Learn more about CCST (Caribbean Cyber Support Team) by visiting caribbeancst.org. CCST is a collaborative group on the Discord platform for Caribbean people in IT, from beginners to experts.