WITH reports of phishing and online scams on the rise, C&W Business (CWB) Jamaica is urging businesses to prioritise cybersecurity training for its staff as a means of fighting these threats.

Director of Enterprise, Government, and IT Solutions at CWB Jamaica Carol Robertson says most cyber attacks constitute the theft of customer information and/or money, and the loss of business or customer contacts and can disrupt an entity’s operations.

Robertson explained that while cybersecurity software and systems are important in the fight against cybercrime, keen attention must be paid to educating staff on how to recognise and minimise the threats.

“The greatest vulnerability is the user and so the first line of defence is also the user. It’s therefore critical that employees are trained and that they take personal responsibility and accountability for safeguarding information, network and infrastructure alike,” said Robertson.

She was speaking during a recent Twitter Spaces chat hosted by the Universal Service Fund. The discussion focused on cybersecurity developments, trends, and mitigation plans.

In her remarks, Robertson said that neither private nor public sector entities are immune to cyber breaches and that such incidents can result in loss of revenue and public trust while being costly and onerous to repair.

According to the Major Organised Crime Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), more than $12 million is lost annually due to cybercrime. Global loss due to cybercrime is estimated at a low of US$1 trillion in 2020 and US$6 trillion in 2021.

Robertson emphasised that vigilance by businesses in safeguarding their networks with the appropriate software, hardware, and regular training is crucial during this age of ‘hackers for hire’.

“We are now seeing cybercrime being offered as a service whereby cybercriminals are facilitating illegal activities for others at a cost, usually through the dark web,” Robertson said.

She added that CWB Jamaica continues to support the business sector with specialised solutions aimed at making information technology operations secure even as it too grapples with cybercrime, specifically theft and vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure and network elements.

According to Robertson, the company has experienced service disruptions for the past several years due to the theft and destruction of its cables, batteries, and other equipment.

The negative impact of these activities, she said, is far-reaching, causing interruptions in the services provided to the Government, including emergency response services; large enterprises; the financial sector; medium, small and micro-sized entities as well as residential customers.

Robertson called on the members of the public, customers, and other interested parties to assist in safeguarding the company’s network infrastructure.

“We require the support of all stakeholders in the society, including residents, to bring a stop to this because we are all victims of this brand of cybercrime, particularly in this era of work from home and online schooling,” Robertson said.

She said hat the company continues to engage the Government to find solutions to the problem of theft and vandalism and encouraged the business community to add its voice to the discussion.

“Generally, the scourge of theft and vandalism negatively impacts the economy in a major way as businesses and communities grind to a halt without access to online services. Further, the vision of having a connected Jamaica is compromised,” Robertson said.