Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dr. Horace Chang says the Government has taken a multi-faceted and multi-tiered approach to improving Jamaica’s cyber-defence capabilities and cyber-threat response.
He made the remark while delivering the keynote address at the Global Services Association of Jamaica President’s Breakfast Forum held at the Grand-A-View Restaurant and Event Place in Montego Bay, St. James on Thursday (February 29). The forum was held under the theme ‘Data Protection & Cybersecurity for 2024 and Beyond’.
Minister Chang highlighted that, “the Government is committed to strengthening our national cybersecurity infrastructure and we continue to invest in the response capabilities of our agencies by hardening our tech-infrastructure and putting the requisite measures in place to combat this faceless crime”.
He further added that as the government positions Jamaica and the various business sectors for the future – “cyber-defence is at the heart of national development efforts”.
“We are positioning Jamaica to respond swiftly and effectively to cyber-threats so that international business partners, such as our global service providers represented here this morning, can feel confident that your investments in Jamaica are being protected,” he expressed.
The Security Minister also emphasised that the reliance on new technologies bring into sharp focus the importance of data protection.
While referring to Jamaica’s Data Protection Act 2023, Minister Chang noted that “it is undoubtedly one of the most contemporary pieces of legislation that we have to provide a necessary safeguard and operating framework for handling personal information.”
As the Government continues to address data protection and cybersecurity in 2024, both the public and private sectors will be required to take a proactive approach to mitigate risks, leverage advanced technologies and adapt to the evolving threat landscape and regulatory environment.
The Government continues to make the necessary investments in cybersecurity and has positioned law enforcement agencies including the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) to devise tactics and strategies to combat the cyber-based criminal landscape.
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