Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday underlined the Government’s commitment to supporting investments to strengthen Guyana’s cyber resilience as it looks towards ICTs to facilitate the country’s transformation.
“I wish to take this opportunity to reaffirm Government’s commitment to making and supporting investments that will improve Guyana’s resilience to cybercrime and cyberattacks”, he said, according to a statement from his office.
Phillips made these remarks at the opening of the National Cyber Risk Assessment (NCRA) workshop, which is being facilitated by the United Kingdom at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre.
He urged that stakeholders adopt cyber-security practices to ensure continued provision of key services and economic soundness.
“I would like all organisations present here today to make the same vow – to secure Guyana’s future, to secure our people’s well-being, we need to secure our critical infrastructure”, he urged.
He stated that the Government remains committed to building the necessary infrastructure and creating an enabling environment to promote the use of ICTs across the country, in line with the drive to bridge the digital divide.
“Our Government has committed to creating an enabling environment for using ICT across Guyana, thereby eliminating the digital gap and unequal access within Guyana and between Guyana and other countries. We have committed to ensuring that ICTs are incorporated into all sectors, including the development of education, health, industry and agriculture”, he told the gathering.
Phillips expressed gratitude to the Government of the United Kingdom for the initiative which aids in strengthening the cyber resilience of the nation.
British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller; National Data Management Authority Deputy General Manager- Operations, Orson Smith and National Data Management Authority Director Cyber Security Division, Muriana McPherson were among those in attendance.
Yesterday’s meeting came just around a week after a call by a US government official for a bolstering of efforts against cybercrime.
A release from the US Embassy said that Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the US Department of Justice, Richard W. Downing; accompanied by Cybersecurity Program Manager from the Secretariat of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Organization of America States (OAS), Kerry-Ann Barrett; and a team of Department of Justice (DOJ) cyber experts visited Guyana to raise cyber security solutions with representatives from the Government of Guyana.
The release said that Downing and Barrett met with Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, representatives from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, representatives from the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Attorney General’s Chambers, representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Guyana Police Force.
Downing and Barrett encouraged Guyana’s accession to the Budapest Convention, or the Convention on Cybercrime, which would offer additional resources to bolster domestic capacity for law enforcement responses when combatting cybercrime.
“This crucial step will help Guyana combat cyber threats as it undergoes a major economic transformation. Additionally, the DOJ cyber team, in conjunction with the OAS, offered technical support toward the development of national cyber security frameworks to combat cybercrimes, especially in the security and energy sectors”, the release said. The team proposed similar support to CARICOM countries.
In addition to the visit by the DOJ, the release said that the U.S. Southern Command and Florida National Guard will send a cyber defence assessment team to Guyana with the goal of sharing best practices with the Guyana Defence Force to protect military networks from cyber-attacks. That team should be here this week.
The release added that these visits by DOJ and USSOUTHCOM underline the United States’ concerted efforts to help Guyana in establishing and developing a strong cyber security defence to support future development.Prime Minister Mark Phillips is sitting fourth from right. UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller is sitting third from right.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday underlined the Government’s commitment to supporting investments to strengthen Guyana’s cyber resilience as it looks towards ICTs to facilitate the country’s transformation.
“I wish to take this opportunity to reaffirm Government’s commitment to making and supporting investments that will improve Guyana’s resilience to cybercrime and cyberattacks”, he said, according to a statement from his office.
Phillips made these remarks at the opening of the National Cyber Risk Assessment (NCRA) workshop, which is being facilitated by the United Kingdom at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre.
