In our July 2025 Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, cybersecurity and data protection expert, Jeehan Miller of Jamaica, and Halle Johnson, Systems Administrator at the UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, the panel discusses: Deepfakes, deception, misinformation and cyber awareness; Using technology to fight crime; and Keeping kids safe online.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

Welcome to our July 20925 Community Chat! Once again, we have an interesting mix of topics, which are outlined below.

 

The topics discussed

In today’s digital landscape, the rise of deepfakes and misinformation has created new challenges for societies already grappling with trust and truth in online spaces. Deepfakes—hyper-realistic but fabricated images, videos, or audio—are being increasingly used for deception, from manipulating public opinion to committing fraud. As a result, we, as consumers, are continually being challenged to question whether the content we see, be it image, video, or text before us, is authentic. At the same time, as the technology becomes more sophisticated, cheaper and more accessible, so too do the opportunities to deceive or cause harm. We thus kicked off this month’s Community Chat with the topic, Deepfakes, deception, misinformation and cyber awareness.

In a different vein, we must acknowledge that technology can also be a force for good in the fight against crime. Artificial intelligence (AI), facial recognition, predictive analytics, and other tools are helping law enforcement identify criminal patterns, track illegal activities, and respond more efficiently to threats. The panel thus discussed Using technology to fight crime, noting the surge in crime that has occurred across the Caribbean region and the fact that the police have not been able to bring crime under control. Hence, law enforcement has increasingly been trying to leverage technology to assist them in their efforts, which, in some instances, has resulted in laws being enacted to support their investigation powers, evidence collection, or even to give the police greater leeway as they try to build stronger cases for prosecution. However, when we examine all that is being done, could there be grounds for concern?

Finally and equally important is ensuring that children are protected as they navigate online spaces. From social media to gaming platforms, kids face risks such as cyberbullying, online predators, and exposure to harmful content. We rounded off the discussion with the longstanding topic Keeping kids safe online, which we have not discussed in a few years: when AI was not as prominent, and social media was slightly less pervasive. However, children, who are among the most vulnerable in our societies, can be exposed to a broad range of online dangers, which may not just be from predatory individuals and bullies, but also seemingly well-meaning people who do not fully understand the long-term harm that could occur from their actions.

 

Introducing our guests

Jeehan Miller

Jeehan Miller is a dynamic IT professional with over 20 years of experience across systems analysis, software development, business intelligence, and digital transformation. With a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and an MBA in IT Management, she brings deep technical expertise and strategic insight to the fields of cybersecurity, data privacy and AI governance.

Jeehan is Certified in Cybersecurity from ISC2, Certified as a NIST Cybersecurity Expert, Cyber Risk Specialist, a Certified Ransomware Protection Officer, and is Microsoft Certified in Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals. She is a strong advocate for data protection, privacy-first digital practices, safe online practices for kids, and ethical AI adoption. Her work focuses on building secure, compliant, and responsible programmes for data protection and emerging technologies.

A passionate educator, Jeehan has led cybersecurity awareness initiatives, AI productivity workshops, and served on records management committees.  She currently serves as Regional Chapter Chair for Women of Jamaica in AI Governance.

Halle Johnson

Mr Halle Johnson is currently a Systems Administrator at the University of The West Indies Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda. He has over 20 years of experience in the IT field and has worked in various sectors, including online gaming, hospitality, border control, E-Sports, and academia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Computing from the University of London, an MBA with specialisation in information systems strategy and governance from Edinburgh Napier University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in IT.

Halle also holds a myriad of industry certifications from Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco, to name a few. His current interests include Cybersecurity, Data Science, AI and Cryptocurrency.

 

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Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise might be useful.

 

 

Images credit:  J Miller;  H Johnson;  rawpixel.com (Freepik);  Andrew Martin (Pixabay);  Freepik

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez