The accounting firm Deloitte noted that in recent years, there had been a sharp increase in cyber-attacks against businesses and organizations in Barbados and the Caribbean region as a whole.
Cyber-attacks on key establishments are now prevalent in Barbados. These onslaughts range from medical facility, to commercial banks and credit unions, to retail businesses and even single persons. The situation is getting so serious that it is generating a feeling of distrust and uneasiness concerning the security of Barbados’ digital information, be it emails or dealings with banking entities.
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The debate over Trident ID Card
David Ishmael, Barbados’ Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, has stated that 90,000 Trident national ID cards are ready for collection, and he is “urging” people to collect them.
He also reported that 160,000 people have already signed up for the credential, and the population of Barbados is estimated to be over 300,000.
However, Dr Ronnie Yearwood, president of the Democratic Labour Party, is urging the Government to right the wrongs concerning the Trident Identification card, in light of the prior cases of data breaches and the problems with its introduction. He is also recommending that people who haven’t taken possession of the cards to not take them.
At Agrofest 23 on February 25th, Yearwood declared that the cards are an infringement on the basic rights and freedoms of Barbadians, as their personal data had previously been jeopardized through the electoral list last year and the cyberattack at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
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The Data Threat
Since 2013, ransomware attacks in the Caribbean have been persistent and the number of data breaches have increased.
One of the most concerning attacks was on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). This incident caused fear and anxiety for those who relied on the hospital for medical care, as well as concern over the safety of their private health information.
In the Deloitte report entitled Taking Data Hostage: The rise of Ransomware, the firm highlighted the unique nature of ransomware, as the objective of the attack is to make the victim pay money to the hacker.
Additionally, it was noted that other forms of cyberattacks can lead to the theft of information, such as stolen credit card details. Deloitte stated in the report that “Ransomware also differs in that the goal isn’t to steal data but to deny access to it until money has changed hands. That makes it about availability, whereas, other cyber-attacks seek to breach confidentiality and compromise integrity and privacy.”
Massy Group, a regional conglomerate, reported in its 2022 financial report that cyber criminals had attempted to access its data storage systems through a cyber-attack.
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