Commonwealth ministers, policymakers and cyber security experts are in Saint Lucia this week to discuss improving cyber security in the region.

The three-day meeting provides a platform for participants to address challenges and develop a coordinated regional action plan to prevent cybercrime and improve cyber security, and includes the creation of a virtual platform to share expertise and best practices.

“Drawing on our strengths as one Commonwealth, we have the opportunity to tackle cybercrime and ensure technology platforms are secure. We can then direct precious resources to helping societies flourish,” said Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo. 

The Commonwealth Cybercrime Initiative conducted assessments in five Commonwealth 
Caribbean countries (Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados), and found an increase in cybercrime. It noted a high number of incidences in the private sector and found that cases remain unreported because of perceived reputational damage and lack of capacity. 

Cybercrimes reported in the region have included the theft of US$150 million from the Bank of Nova Scotia in Jamaica in 2014; while in 2015, individuals claiming to be local ISIS supporters hacked government websites. In that same year, tax authorities in the region were infected by ransomware, which blocks users from accessing their systems and demands money.

ICT Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat Tony Ming, explained that the emergence of e-commerce, e-government and other technologically-enabled services in the Caribbean has opened up new avenues for economic activity and for cybercriminals to exploit.

"Insider threats have accounted for over 50 percent of all security breaches. This, in conjunction with the exponential growth in internet usage and mobile devices, has created new vulnerabilities and will require industry-strength cyber security to protect important digital assets.”

The issue of cybercrime in the Commonwealth was first addressed by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) at its ministerial conference in St. Philip, Barbados in 2011. The CTU recommended a regional strategy for cyber security. This resulted in the Declaration of St. Philip, Barbados on Caribbean Collaboration on Cyber Security, which was ratified in 2013.

Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General of the CTU, welcomed the opportunity to partner with the Commonwealth Secretariat to advance the region’s development. 

Francis Forbes, Executive Director of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security said that strengthening CARICOM’s resilience to cybercrime is one of 14 strategic goals outlined by the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy (CCSS).

"Cybercrime is considered a Tier I risk, which can result in serious damage to vital infrastructures and can undermine economic health," he said. "The CCSS represents a comprehensive and integrated response to tackling common cybercrime risks and threats facing CARICOM Member States.”

Attendees included ministers responsible for legal affairs, ICT and national security; and attorneys from the Caribbean and international organizations such as Interpol, the Council of Europe, the FBI and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).