Dear Editor,
I am most enthused by the renewed interest which is being placed on the issue of cyber security, and moreso, the recognition of the need for relevant mechanisms to tackle the growing cyber-threats in Guyana. Most of us go about our day-to-day lives, utilizing the rapidly advancing technological infrastructure that has so engulfed us; we are rarely sensitive to the risks that face us in the process. While we become more connected, the more vulnerable we are in a globalized world where businesses, governments and people heavily depend on the internet and storage media as critical tools for marketing, communication, governance, e- commerce and entertainment, to name just a few.
I hesitate to assume that the regular Guyanese man-in-the-street is blind to the issue of cyber-threats; in fact, millions of cyber-threats are perpetrated across the globe every second and more and more articles are alluding to the issues that are trending, eg, the Nigerian email phishing scams. Some of these threats have escalated to being defined ‘cybercrimes’ and are constructed with the aim of being mischievous, destructive, nefarious and even terroristic in nature. I must, however, point out that many Guyanese have been the targets of cybercrimes in the past ‒ maybe unknowingly ‒ and in the cases of which they are aware, the lack of robust cybercrime legislation and policies mean that the relevant authorities are not empowered to investigate and act on these incidents.
These are incidents, mind you, which pass in front of our very eyes and owing to a general lack of knowledge, might have significant adverse effects on us. That being said, emphasis should be placed on the term ‘cyber-hygiene” (or best practices to be adhered to whilst operating in cyberspace) when dealing with establishment of policies and programmes, and the enacting of legislation.
In this regard I wish to commend the establishment of the Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (GN-CIRT) which falls under the Ministry of Public Security and is mandated “to provide technical assistance to public and private agencies, and individuals to prevent and respond effectively to information security incidents of national importance” (www.cirt.gy).
Gratitude should also be expressed to organisations such as the Organisation of American States (OAS) through their Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), the United States Department of State and the ICT4Peace Foundation which
provide invaluable assistance in the form of supporting mechanisms to bolster and prepare Guyana for issues that, if left in the dark, would spell disaster for our country.
The same preoccupation that we have with legislation such as the Anti- Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill, the Local Government Bill and the Customs Amendment Bill, we should have in respect of a cybercrimes and cybersecurity bill. We should also have continued high-level support from government, private sector entities and other stakeholders for the successful formulation and implementation of a National Cybersecurity Strategy.
Yours faithfully,
Aneal Giddings
