Thanks James.

Indeed, the Caribbean could benefit from a clearer and more proactive stance on ICT and cyber security, along with appropriate policies, regulations, procedures, etc.

On another note, when you mention 4,000 a day average, re cyber threats and vulnerability, is that for the region as a whole? For an individual country? Or for a single organisation? Do clarify…

Well said John! Thanks for your thoughts.

Two things:
* Are you aware of Caricom’s Regional Digital Development Strategy? A draft was made publicly available over two years ago, and little has been shared on it since.

* Often and in my opinion, Caribbean countries recognised the economies of scale and scope benefits that can be realised when they collaborate, and as such, do participate in initiatives. The challenge tends to occur when they go back home, and individual countries decide to take another course, other than what had been agreed or expected. The region is littered with model/draft policies, legislation and other regionally-driven outputs, which have gone nowhere in most countries.

Insightful, as per usual Carlton!

I do agree that information literacy is critical to ensure citizens’ fullest participation and use of the Internet/ICTs, and countries could benefit considerably from establishing clear policies and frameworks to realise it.

With regard to Internet content, I truly have no interest promoting its regulation, or in having someone restrict or censor information/content persons wish to access. Based on my experience and observations across the region, very little Internet infrastructure regulation is occurring in the Caribbean. More importantly, matters such as retail pricing, quality of service, network neutrality etc, really have not been given much attention by established regulators. The focus has been almost exclusively on voice (especially mobile/cellular) services…

We have simply not leveraged a wide range of ICT & Cyber Security best practices and standards as we should to ensure the Confidentially, Integrity and Availability for our data resources and that of our investors.

Our cultural ICT decision making timelines and processes have not keep up with the rapid rate of growth in technology, while becoming increasingly exposed to ever evolving cyber threats and vulnerability (4000 a day avg).

ICT as a component of business is still not being viewed by many industry and government leaders with the attention, focus, and investment it needs. As a result our ICT challenges get further complicated as those that should know in key ICT roles and positions simply don’t.

In closing, solving this regional ICT challenge in a sustainable way has to start with roles based ICT and Cyber Security Awareness Training.

James Bynoe
CEO, Caribbean Cyber Security Center
http://www.caribbeancsc.com
james.bynoe@caribbeancsc.com
236-8818

Caricom needs to convene on this as a first priority for its members and having these plans completed, then tackle each of the components collectively as partners in development. The benefits will be optimised when we achieve or set the milestone measurments together. This way the externalities are maximised from the get go. This is forcing the likelihood of success through cultivating critical mass” at an earlier point.

Sporadic and individualised excursions will not set the foundation for the scales and scope of economies that a coordinated and collaborative development could foster for us much faster, as a region. As long as we neglect the whole regional approach as has been done elsewhere ( EU USA, Australia) we will never each have the where it all to surface as information societies in isolation. So, ICT development has got to be a regional mandate set with regional guidelines, policies and laws. Granted there may be implementation lags in some countries and this may be inevitable due to resource constraints, we will still be assured that once it is all put together, the region will function as an integrated whole. This will arise given the common policy and legal underpinning drafted at the outset. .

Our education system is critical to these outcomes. And if we are to be prepared for the information society – and it’s corollary, the knowledge economy – our education system cries out for radical reform.

I would be very uneasy with any close reading of the term ‘Internet regulation’. Since the [telecoms] infrastructure on which the ecosystem rides is, by and large, already regulated, regulation in this context tends to suggest content regulation. I would be unalterably opposed. Speaking as an adult, I am the only – and I so mean the only – one qualified to determine what I read, see or think. I think about this like I do religion. Every man or woman is entitled to his or her own myths. And I give the same and equal respect to all myths, ancient and modern. Yes, we have our fair share of weak-minded people. But that is not sufficient cause to disallow or forbid one to be foolish.