Jamaicans urged to prioritise cybersecurity

The Ministry of National Security is calling on all citizens, businesses and institutions to prioritise cybersecurity in their daily operations.

Speaking with JIS News, Policy Analyst for Cybersecurity and Intelligence in the ministry, Jonelle Ramlal, explained that cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from cyberthreats, such as hackers, malicious software, and other malicious digital attacks. She noted that cybersecurity affects everyone, from individuals to small businesses and government agencies.

In 2024, global cybersecurity leader Fortinet reported that for the first half of that year, Jamaica experienced more than four million attempted cyberattacks. This statistic highlights the urgent need for heightened awareness and proactive measures to combat cyberthreats.

"The core principles of cybersecurity are confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our data by ensuring that sensitive data remains secure and accessible only to authorised users. We are aware that persons are being phished through emails, text messages, and people are suffering from ransomware attacks," Ramlal said.

She noted that as technology continues to evolve and become more advanced, criminals have become more sophisticated in their attempts to target vulnerable individuals.

"Emerging threats in cybersecurity are phishing attacks; they aren't going anywhere any time soon. People are still falling for them, and cybercriminals know it. Ransomware attacks are on the rise; hackers can lock you out of your own systems and demand a fortune to restore access. And even then, there's no guarantee you'll get your data back," Ramlal noted. She indicated that another challenge is artificial intelligence (AI).

"AI is changing everything. It's designed to think, process, and make decisions like a human, but with every advantage comes a risk," she said.