CARIBBEAN– CARICOM IMPACS boosts regional skills in cyber-security

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) is hosting a regional Cyber Crisis Management Training on Thursday and Friday in Barbados.

The training, being conducted by the Thales Group, seeks to provide regional cyber security practitioners, who are responsible for managing these types of incidents and crises in their respective organizations or agencies, with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively manage and mitigate these events’ impact on national security, business continuity, and public trust.

The training is open to a wide range of participants, including national cyber security specialists, law enforcement agencies, National Cyber Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs), LEO (Law Enforcement Officials) cybercrime investigative personnel, and other national and regional security practitioners.

Participants are from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Executive Director, CARICOM IMPACS, Lt. Col. Michael Jones, emphasized the crucial role of this training in the face of the escalating cybercrimes in the region and globally, underscoring its timeliness and importance.

“We are ensuring that people, organizations, and countries are equipped with the competencies, tools, and continued support they need to prevent and deal with these types of incidents, if and when they do occur, by creating a culture of security and strengthening ouR technological defenses,” he said.

The training will delve into various key topics, such as understanding the cyber threat landscape and the potential impact of cyber crises on organizations and societies, developing a robust cyber crisis management plan and incident response protocols, and effectively communicating with stakeholders during a cyber crisis.

CARICOM IMPACS was established by the 27th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in July 2006, in Bird Rock, St. Kitts and Nevis, as the implementation arm of a new regional architecture to manage CARICOM’s action agenda on crime and security.

At this meeting, the Heads of Government signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement establishing CARICOM IMPACS as a legal entity, with direct responsibility for research, monitoring and evaluation, analysis, and the preparation of background documents and reports, as well as project development and implementation of the regional crime and security agenda.