Last week, from 25—28 June, I had the opportunity to attend the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Policy Forum, also known as ICANN62, which was held in Panama. For those who have not heard of this organisation before, “ICANN is a global multistakeholder, private sector organization that manages Internet resources for the public benefit. It is best known for its role as technical coordinator of the Internet’s Domain Name System” (Source:  ICANN).

Unlike other meetings ICANN holds, its policy forum is considered a no-frills working meeting, where in-depth discussions are held on a broad range of Internet-related issues by the numerous groups and constituencies that comprise ICANN. However, as someone who tries to keep abreast of the latest ICT/Internet issues, what had I had not fully appreciated before I attended ICANN62, was the fact that the issues that were being debated at ICANN had yet trickled down to mainstream or techie media. Some of the issues that are currently under discussion, which are likely to result in global Internet policies include: 

• The Use of Emoji in Domain Names
• The use of two-letter country codes at the second level of generic Top Level Domain Names (e.g. *.jm.com; *.tt.org, *.bb.net)
• Geographic names as Top Level Domain Names
• Whois Compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation
• Internationalised Domain Names

Hence, for individuals and countries who are members of the ICANN community, there is an invaluable opportunity to help shape global policies, which undoubtedly are facilitating the evolution of the Internet, be it directly or indirectly.

Anyone can participate in an ICANN discussion, and there tend to be several consultation processes (on a variety issues) running simultaneously. However, an important constituency, which precipitated the ‘aha moment’ I shared above, is the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC).

Many Caribbean members countries in the GAC, but limited participation

According to the ICANN website, “The GAC serves as the voice of Governments and International Governmental Organizations in ICANN’s multi-stakeholders representative structure”. This group a key participant in the policy development process, as it has a say on virtually all of the public policies that are developed within ICANN, regardless of where they originated within the wider community.

It therefore means that for Caribbean countries, which are all classified as Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), as discussed in our recent podcast episode, and through the GAC, there is an opportunity to include in the conversation a Caribbean/SIDS perspective on the issues being debated.

[Learn why is SIDS important and ways in which it affects ICT in our podcast episode with Tracy Hackshaw]

However, at ICANN62 last week, only a handful of Caribbean countries were represented at the GAC sessions, as reflected in the Table 1 below. Moreover, whilst several countries are members of the GAC, there are still a few that have not yet joined.

Table 1: Caribbean countries that are members of the GAC, and were represented at the GAC sessions at ICANN62 (Source: ICANN, informal onsite observations)

To be fair, it is not cheap to attend these global meetings. Luckily, ICANN62 was held in Panama, but they move to a different location around the world. For example, ICANN’s annual general meeting, ICANN63, will be held in Barcelona, Spain, later in the year. So, although there may not be a registration fee to attend many of global policy meetings on ICT and the Internet, such as those organised by ICANN, the travel costs (air fare, accommodation, per diem, etc.) can easily range between USD 2,500 and USD 10,000 per person, per meeting.

But is it still worth it to participate?

The short answer is yes, as it would seem both counterintuitive and counterproductive to be members of a grouping that we, as countries and SIDS, can influence, and yet not do so. However, when the reality of budgetary constraints, in particular, is considered, how that participation occurs might not be as straightforward as physically attending all of the meetings scheduled in far-flung places around the world. There are options.

First, at many of the global Internet policy meetings, such as ICANN62, and the upcoming ICANN63, most of the sessions are streamed live, to facilitate remote participation. Hence, although you might not be able to physically present, you can listen and comment, raise your questions and have them answered, just as if you attended in person. However, it means that you still need to block the time in your schedule in order to be available to participate in real time. Alternatively, you can play the recordings at a later and more convenient time, and still add you two cents, as appropriate.

Second, with policy meetings typically lasting a few days to about a week, much of the actual discussion and policy development work occurs between those meetings in regularly scheduled conference calls and via email. It is in those virtual sessions that members of a particular group, such as the GAC at ICANN, conceptualise and debate the positions that they will eventually take on specific issues. However, in order to access those channels, you may need to register as a member of that group, in order to be in a position to subscribe to the requisite mailing lists and join those conversations.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, anyone can participate in the policy development process by commenting on the draft policies and documents that are released for consultation. In ICANN, for example, the consultation periods are usually generous, at least 30 days, thus allowing for careful review and consideration of the positions being tabled.

In summary, although attending meetings face-to-face has its benefits, it ought to be supplemented by participation in the discussions and work that occurs between the meetings. Hence, meaningful participation requires time, commitment and consistency by our countries, and the individuals selected to represent us. Moreover, careful consideration and planning are vital, in order to ensure that we can best utilise the opportunity and platforms provided, for us to contribute to, and help shape, global Internet policies that ultimately, affect us all.

Image credit:  Backbone Campaign (flickr)

Network security – and the lack thereof – continues to be a concern in the Caribbean. Although some incidents get reported; most are kept under wraps by the affected organisations, whilst there are still others that are not (yet!) aware that their networks have been compromised.

To help us all get a handle on what is going on in the IT/network security space in the region, we are engaging Caribbean-based network security experts. To kick off the 2017 series, we are thrilled, once again, to have Niel Harper, who is no stranger to ICT Pulse and the Expert Insights series!

Niel is the Founder and Managing Director of Octave Consulting Group, a boutique advisory firm specializing in CIO advisory, cybersecurity, IT assurance and information risk management services. He has had management responsibility, consulting engagements, and short-term assignments in over 20 countries, and has worked with organizations such as the Internet Society, United Nations Volunteers, Cable & Wireless, AT&T, Bermuda Commercial Bank, CIBC, and the Internet Engineering Task Force. Niel is a Fellow to: the British Computer Society; the OECD Technology Foresight Forum; and the Royal Society of Arts. He is an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) registered with the UK Engineering Council, and holds a number of industry certifications in information security, IT auditing, and business continuity management, and in 2014, he was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

ICT Pulse:  Niel, give us a quick recap of what have been the most prevalent types of incidents in Barbados and/or in the Caribbean region over the past year or so? How has the threat landscape changed?

Neil Harper:  Michele, it’s always difficult to quantify or qualify the number and types of cyber incidents that occur in the Caribbean because there are no mandatory breach notifications or transparency obligations in the various jurisdictions across the region. As such, public and private sector organizations do not notify the general public or individual data subjects when networks or personal data stores are compromised (yes I have said this a number of times, but it is still relevant and quite important). That being said, ransomware attacks have been quite prevalent across the region, and particularly targeting hospitals, educational institutions, government systems, financial services, and small-to-medium enterprises with insufficient resources to adequately respond to cyber threats.

ICTP:  Over the past year, ransomware incidents appeared to have been quite plentiful across the region. Are they still as huge a threat?

NH:  On a regional (and global) scale, ransomware has continued to be the most persistent business model for cybercriminals. One of the key reasons that ransomware has remained a major threat is because the tools used to initiate attacks are being continuously evolved and improved. For example, there was an over 150% increase in new ransomware variants in the first half of 2016. Moreover, cybercriminals are now operating Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) with lower buy-in costs that allow less tech-savvy perpetrators to distribute ransomware. And the success of ransomware attacks is high because related exploit kits have been popping up more and more on legitimate websites.

ICTP:  What are some of the new and emerging threats of which we should be more aware? And are there any particular areas of concern that you have for Caribbean organisations?

NH:  One of my biggest concerns with regards to new and emerging threats is that nation states are increasingly developing offensive cyber capabilities, essentially weaponizing exploits and actively eroding trust online through disproportionate mass surveillance, targeted attacks, and information manipulation (fake news). On the other hand, threat actors are ramping up attacks against hardware and firmware vulnerabilities in processors, DRAM technologies, BIOS, and in firmware on devices such as USB, chargers, and external hard drives. IoT malware is on the rise and threatening individual privacy via regular household appliances and consumer devices. In 2017, ransomware continues to grow, and malware authors are focusing their efforts on mobile devices — attacking data repositories both on devices and in the cloud. ‘Dronejacking’ has become a growing threat with a noticeable increase in attacks due to consumer drones shipping with weak protection mechanisms. While not necessarily a new or emerging threats, the pervasive insecurity of IoT devices is fueling the perpetual threat of DDoS attacks, especially against ISPs with unsecured services such as DNS and BGP. All of these threat areas should be of concern to Caribbean organizations and individuals due to increased use of Internet-enabled devices at home and in the workplace.

ICTP:  At the CARICOM/regional level, there has been a growing awareness of cybercrime and cybersecurity, and calls by leaders for something be done. In your opinion, has there been any improvement in the cybersecurity-associated resources or support structures in Barbados, and/or perhaps regionally? What might still be missing?

NH:  I think the challenges with regards to cybercrime and cybersecurity are pretty constant across the Caribbean region — so I won’t just focus on Barbados. While I think that awareness is increasing, I am deeply concerned that the response to these issues across CARICOM and the broader region is (still) severely lacking. For one, the vast majority of the countries in the Caribbean do not have a national cyber crime strategy. This includes legislative reform (e.g. computer misuse, data protection, privacy, e-commerce, etc.), incident response capabilities, threat intelligence sharing, cybersecurity education & training, and other important elements. The HIPCAR project to harmonize regional cyber legislation ended around 2012, and most countries have still not updated their national laws. That being said, this may actually be an opportunity as the final outputs from the project were largely inadequate, and regional leaders should now be looking towards options like signing on to the Budapest Convention and/or modeling new data protection laws on the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

ICTP:  Does it even make sense for small companies to send their network administrators to security training courses when security is not their full-time job, and given the pace at which the security landscape is changing? Or should such companies just accept the fact that they need to outsource this function?

NH:  This is a very good question. A network administrator is employed to oversee the smooth and effective running of the company’s system environment. However, this individual cannot successfully meet the demands of their job if the environment is not adequately secured. Hence, in my opinion, a top-tier network administrator should be trained on security to properly round off his/her capabilities and deliver real value to the organization. However, the tricky aspect is that small businesses generally can’t afford to hire network administrators with such a diverse skill set or to finance security-related training, so outsourcing then becomes the only viable alternative. But then outsourcing of such a sensitive role may not be cost-effective and bring with it an entire new set of risks. It’s somewhat of a Catch 22.

ICTP:  Do you agree that user naiveté is the number one security threat facing organisations? If not, what do you think is the most significant threat?

NH:  I strongly contend that end users remain one of the biggest threats to online security due to their lack of awareness, poor judgement and carelessness with password management, sharing devices with others, accessing unprotected and open public networks, downloading files and apps from untrusted sources, visiting unknown websites and clicking on fraudulent links. However… An increasingly connected society, coupled with a highly complex and constantly evolving threat environment, makes it extremely difficult for an inexperienced end user not to be the weakest link in the chain of trust. This is why end user awareness and training programs are so critical in combating cyber threats.

ICTP:  Should any organisation still be using tapes for data backup purposes?

NH:  I totally understand why this question would be asked, especially given the widespread availability and popularity of alternatives like cloud backups, disk-to-disk backups, low-cost NAS backups, and others. However, I still think that tape backups should be used for a number of reasons. Firstly, newer LTO technologies are allowing for higher capacity, greater transfer rates, and lower total cost of ownership — SMEs generally can’t afford the large Internet pipes or expensive hardware/software required to support cloud and disk-to-disk backups. Tapes also have better reliability (error-rate) and longevity than disks. Additionally, tapes are highly portable with regards to moving them offsite to support disaster recovery. Tapes can also be combined with disk-to-disk or cloud backups to increase the robustness of disaster recover solutions (e.g. when Internet connectivity is unavailable or data center locations are inaccessible due to a major incidents). Other areas where tapes are superior to disks are scalability and backward compatibility.

ICTP:  And finally, what are the top three (3) things businesses should be doing this year to improve their network/IT security?

NH:  An important undertaking for organizations in 2017 should be to hire someone who has a strong skill set in the area of risk evaluation and management — an expert who can take a holistic look at the business to identify and qualify/quantify risk exposures and impacts, decide which risks can be accepted, and develop mitigating actions for those that can’t.

Secondly, businesses need to implement a toolset that provides them with greater visibility into security events and information throughout their IT environment. This should include logs and events from firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, endpoint security, operating systems, network devices, databases, file integrity checkers, and data loss prevention or digital rights management solutions. IT personnel need to be able to identify anomalies across the organization, and proactively address intrusions before they occur or effectively detect and respond to those that have already happened.

Thirdly, businesses should rationalize and implement a cloud strategy (if they haven’t done so already). Cloud-based solutions provide a more affordable solution to traditional on-premise systems. And while they have their own distinct set of associated risks, cloud-based services have become increasingly more secure and reliable over the last couple of years. To ensure that they are well protected when migrating to cloud services, business must focus concerted attention on the service level requirements which their cloud partners must adhere to. Key areas such as jurisdiction, data ownership, security standards, availability, performance, data portability, right to audit, exit clauses, change management and problem management should not be neglected. A robust service level agreement (SLA) is pretty much an insurance policy when entering into a cloud services partnership.

Do you have any questions for Niel, or views you would like to share? Please leave them in the Comments section below. 

Image credits:  Blogtrepreneur (flickr), Niel Harper 

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Hence come next week Monday, 3 April, our weekly news Roundup will be published as per usual, but during the course of that week, we are hoping by Wednesday, the main changes will be completed, and made public. However, thereafter, we anticipate needing to make some tweaks, so please bear with us…

Finally, we must say a big thank you to those who participated in our 3 February survey. The views and suggestions shared will be influencing how we go forward, and should soon be reflected in the content we produce.

In the meantime, we thank you for your continued support.

Best wishes,

Michele

Image credit: mr.zager (flickr)

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if you have been keeping an eye on the latest ICT/tech news developments over the past last week or so, such through our roundup published on Monday, you may have noticeed that to varying degrees, many of our telecoms companies appear to be in trouble:

• In the Bahamas, the incumbent telecoms carrier, the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has been resisting mobile number portability (Source: Bahamas Weekly), especially since competition in that segment is emerging with the launch of Aliv, the mobile/cellular brand operated by new entrant, NewCo2015 Limited.
• In Guyana, the incumbent carrier, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) is planning to cut around 120 people, which the local union is challenging (Source: Kaieteur News).
• In Saint Kitts and Nevis, multi-play provider, The Cable, in which that Government is the majority shareholder, has been challenged to meet its expenses, such as compulsory licensing fees for television content, whilst its staff is demanding a pay increase (Source: West Indies News Network).
• Finally, and the most glaring is Digicel, which operates in 31 markets worldwide including 26 in the Caribbean. The firm is planning to cut around 25% of its global staff, starting March 2017. That initiative is part of a wider programme to make the company more efficient, as it needs to figure out how to service, reportedly, over EUR 6.2 billion in debt (Source: Daily Express).

What does this mean?

To an appreciable extent, Caribbean telecoms landscape is reflecting the phenomenon that has become the norm in the wider business environment: the need to more efficient operations to realise cost savings, and to improve the overall viability and profitability of a business. In countries, there had been little or no competition, especially in the mobile/cellular segment, such as the Bahamas and Guyana, the incumbent carrier was buffered from those effects. However, with competition emerging, that status quo is changing – either with the company taking the lead, to cut staff for example, or through regulatory intervention to compel certain behaviour.

The case of Digicel is a bit unique. It was not the incumbent carrier, but rather the new entrant in the markets in which it now has a presence. However, some experts have opined that the company expanded to fast – 31 countries in 15 years (the last being Tres Network in Curacao in 2016) – and took on huge loans through which to do so. Soon, the chicken will be coming home to roost. Those debts need to be paid. The Initial Public Offer (IPO) the company sought to launch on the New York Stock Exchange in 2015, was an attempt to begin to raise the cash needed, but projections were that the share price would be considerably less than the firm expected, and the IPO was abandoned. However, that also meant that the company still needed to find a way to address its dilemma.

Parting thoughts…

Ultimately, these recent developments speak to the continually changing telecoms environment in the Caribbean, and the growing sophistication of our markets. All service segments must be operated efficiently, and hopefully profitably. Further, the business must also be customer–focussed, in order for firms to maintain its market share, in light of competition and the growing ease with which customers can change their service providers. Finally, this changing environment may also result in even more mergers and acquisitions in the future, as companies seek to capitalise on savings and efficiencies that can be realised from improved economies of scale and scope.

Image credits:  Peter Jozwiak (flickr)

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Over the past two years or so, the term, drones, has become more widely known. They are not only commercially available for personal use, but many businesses, especially those that ship goods, such as Amazon.com, Fedex, DHL and UPS, are also exploring the use of drones to make deliveries to their customers. With all the excitement about drones, generally, the question must be asked when might we, here in the Caribbean, experience more extensive use of drones?

What is a drone?

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), which more colloquially are known as drones are unmanned, yet remotely controlled, aerial devices. Radio controlled aircrafts have been in use by the military, since the 1950s, to assist in fighter pilots combat training. Thereafter, they also evolved into recreational use, as model airplanes that are popular with children and hobbyists alike.

As remotely controlled devices typically, drones operate in the 2.4—5.8 GHz band, which according the frequency band plan for the United States is reserved for Wi-Fi. However, some of them use frequencies in the 900 MHz band, which is also a widely used band for mobile/cellular communications.

Key benefits and applications

In being unmanned – without a human pilot – drones are especially useful in situations where manned flights are considered too risky or difficult. Additionally, using drones can be a more cost effective option than manned aircrafts, particularly when the routes are simple and covering relatively short distances. Accordingly, drones are widely used for aerial photography; land surveying, and for recreational purposes. Also, increasingly, they are being used in logistics and for making deliveries.

Will drones become ubiquitous in the Caribbean?

In a nutshell, extensive drone use in the Caribbean is still several years away. Currently, there are concerns on many fronts: telecoms, security, and even civil aviation. With regard to telecoms, and although the devices tend to use spread spectrum technology, the small size of many of our countries, and their close proximity to each other, means that their signal power to maintain control of a drone, could be a possible source of interference. In matters related to security and civil aviation, the concerns tend to be about such devices being in unauthorised areas.

As a result, the policies that would guide the importation and use of drones in most Caribbean countries are still being developed. As it currently stands, and across most of the region, drone importation is strictly controlled – either they have been banned outright, or special permits (or authorisations) must be secured to permit them for specific uses.  It therefore means that we still have a way to go before drones – and the use of drones – gain any significant foothold in the region.

Image credit:   Richard Unten (flickr)

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As organisations today continue to streamline their operations in order to manage costs and improve efficiency, increasingly they are divesting themselves of non-essential functions and material until they are absolutely needed. Thanks to such practices, the Caribbean now has a multitude of independent contractors, consultants and service providers, who are ready, willing and able to provide the required goods and services

However, similar to most other areas in Caribbean business, a major stumbling block exists: the absence of information. Frequently, those looking for short-term projects are not aware of the opportunities that exist – unless they see them being advertised in the local newspapers, or are otherwise alerted to them, such as by a friend or associate.

For those who are prepared to search for them, it can be time consuming, and it is an activity that might need to be done several times a week. Writing a good proposal or quotation takes time, and frequently a short time frame (less than week) is given to respond. Furthermore, for individuals or firms that are open to working across the region, the challenge of searching for project opportunities is multiplied. Ultimately, many hours can be spent searching for requests for proposals, requests for expressions of interest, etc., instead of more productive (and hopefully paying) work.

Introducing Project Calls

To address this problem, the parent company of ICT Pulse, ICT Pulse Consulting Limited, has launched Project Calls. At its core, Project Calls, provides a comprehensive listing of short-term project opportunities in the Caribbean for the independent consultant, contractor and service provider. Articles providing useful information and insights, along with new features and capabilities, will come on stream in the weeks and months ahead.

Currently, we offer three subscription plans:

• a free basic plan;
• a limited access plan, at USD 20 for 30 days; and
• a full access plan, at USD 199 per year, which has been discounted to USD 159 per year, until 28 February 2017.

More information on each of the plans can be found on our website.

Project Calls was in beta testing for well over a year. Here are a few of our findings:

1. Dozens of project opportunities are released each week. Typically, we publish between 30 and 50 new opportunities per week!
2. At least a half of the opportunities found are donor funded – which can be quite lucrative for the successful bidders.
3. It is not only regional residents that are interested in Caribbean projects. There is considerable interest from individuals outside the region, especially in North America, and from established firms.

In a nutshell, the Caribbean is brimming with projects. The trick is to be aware of them, in order to decide whether to bid on them. Do visit the Project Calls website to see how can help.

Image credit:  Pixabay

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Can you believe it! This past January, ICT Pulse turned six!

Since our first article on 13 January 2011, we have published over 900 articles, and have touched on virtually every major ICT and telecoms issue that has occurred in the Caribbean, or would have an impact on the regional landscape. We also developed and have maintained  regular series that themselves have developed a loyal readership, such as our Roundup, which is published weekly on Mondays, and our Snapshot series, through which we have been tracking the changes and improvements that have occurred in the region.

However, with six years under our belt, we think ICT Pulse could do with some freshening up.

In a few weeks, we hope to start to change the look and feel of the site: it has not changed since 2011! However, we also think it is opportune to revisit what we have doing, and how ICT Pulse can be more relevant to you and your needs.

We therefore invite you to complete the short survey below, which should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Please answer all of the questions.

Looking forward to your feedback,

Michele

Image credit:   pEtE (flickr)

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Last week, regional examining body, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) launched electronic (e-) testing of its multiple choice paper for the January Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination sitting. The trial comprised 500 candidate in seven countries – Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat and Saint Lucia – and was available for 12 subjects.

Most Caribbean residents would be aware that CXC administers its CSEC examination twice per year:  in January and May/June. The January sitting is considerably smaller than the June one, both in the number of subjects tested and the number of candidates. For example, the January 2017 examination sitting had 34,570 subject entries (Source: CXC), whilst the May/June 2016 sitting had 585,223 subject entries, from 132,824 candidates (Source: CXC). It thus provides a less risky set of circumstances in which to introduce and test a new system or feature, such as e-testing, and to iron any significant kinks before wider roll out to the May/June sitting, for example, could be considered.

Having said this, the fact that CXC is finally beginning to introduce e-testing opens up a broad range of issues, opportunities and challenges. We outline a few below.

Bandwidth at examination centres

First, in order to ensure proper examining conditions are maintained, should e-testing be expanded to a larger number of candidates, or even the fully May/June sitting, sufficient bandwidth must be available at the examination centres. Although an approach that could be considered is to have candidates’ answers stored on the device for the duration of a particular examination, eventually those responses would need to be centralised regionally with CXC, for example at the end of that examination.

Hence, consistent and equitable transmission – to minimise delays and failed connections, whilst seeking to ensure that candidates in one location are not disadvantaged when compared with others – is essential. Further, some minimum standard and quality may need not only to be established, but also guaranteed.

Availability of testing devices at examination centres

In order facilitate e-testing, a computing device must be used. Although many candidates across the region may have their own personal computing device, such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or even a laptop, to minimise cheating, and again to foster fair and consistent examining conditions, it would be advisable for the computing device to be provided to the candidate. CXC or the individual countries, through their Ministry of Education, would procure the devices, which would be assigned to each candidate at a particular examination, and returned at the end of the session.

Although a broad range of computing devices are available, at a variety of price points, the number a country would need for all of its candidates is likely to make such an acquisition prohibitive. Although it might be possible to use the devices that have already been supplied, for example as part of laptop and tablet in school programmes, they may need to be checked and tested before examining period commences to ensure they are in proper working order, and can maintain the needed integrity for use in an examination.

Potential for remote testing

In launching e-testing, essentially, CXC can more efficiently administer examinations remotely. Although it might still be too early to know the extent to which that potential will be embraced, as it is vital to proceed with caution, it may eventually be possible that candidates will not have to travel to an examination centre to sit an series of examinations, but rather do so at properly equipped centre in their community, or even at home.

Currently, such a vision is several years away. A number of issues would need to be addressed in order to maintain fairness and equity during the examination process, and to have trustworthy and accepted results.  

Potential for remote marking

Wider implementation of e-testing, could lead not only to digital marking of the candidates’ papers, such in the case of multiple choice examination papers, but also remote marking of other papers. Currently, the candidates’ papers and the examination markers are flown key centres across the region, such as Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and in marathon sessions lasting between one and four weeks, all of the papers – from the 35 subjects tested at the CSEC level, from 16 Caribbean countries –  are marked and graded.  

In addition to being stressful on the markers, who comprise active and retired teachers, the marking exercise is expensive to manage and execute. Being able to evaluate the candidate’s papers remotely, could may be more cost-effective to CXC, which would be passed on the the candidates, in terms of the examination fees that must be paid. However, it could also open up new and different approaches that could lessen the stress of this high volume exercise.

Summary

A indicated earlier, the launch of e-testing is still very early. The challenges that so far have emerged in this January CSEC sitting have not been shared, and could ultimately thwart broader implementation. However, should CXC wish to adopt e-testing more fully across its examinations, there will be several logistic and administrative challenges that would need to be addressed. Hence we are unlikely to see it as a permanently offered in the short term.

Image credit:  Alberto G. (flickr)

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Monday, 23 January 2017

Digicel increases fees despite no governmental approval

Antigua and Barbuda – Telecommunications company Digicel has applied fee increase, despite the matter still lacking formal approval from the necessary ministries to do so… more

Curacao Gets Deal with Airbnb

Curaçao – Curaçao has become the third Caribbean destination to sign a deal with homestay network Airbnb… more

CDB Calling Tech Entrepreneurs

Regional – A technology incubation programme that provides business support services for young entrepreneurs in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and Haiti is open for applications… more

Youth Entrepreneurship Tech Programme To Address Unemployment

Regional – Following the success of a youth technology employment programme in Jamaica, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the World Bank have established a tech programme to provide business support services for young entrepreneurs in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and Haiti… more

Free WiFi on maxi taxis soon

Trinidad and Tobago – ACCESS to the internet is increasingly important but not everyone can afford to pay for all of the data they need and therefore rely on free WiFi to get online… more

Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Antigua: Digicel rate hike approved

Antigua and Barbuda – Antigua Observer:-Government has given Digicel permission to increase the rates for their post-paid and data services… more

Christie Backs Probe Of BTC

Bahamas – PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday told his critics, who have questioned his administration’s take back of the majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company Ltd (BTC), that the government’s actions will be revealed in the results of Parliament’s select committee probe… more

Good year for Digicel

Barbados – 2016 was a stellar year for Digicel Barbados with over 50,000 customers – from government departments, postpaid consumers, corporate businesses and residential customers – switching to the country’s leading communications company, the telecommunications company has reported… more

NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR BARBADOS

Barbados – The Ministry of Health is working towards a paperless environment… more

Dominican telecom watchdog updates noncompliance fines

Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic’s telecom regulator, Indotel, has approved a resolution under which the minimum amount to be paid by companies for … more

From the Dominican Republic to the World: United Telemedicine Network

Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic has long been one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean for Americans and Europeans to escape and enjoy its beautiful beaches, mountains, cultural heritage and gastronomy… more

Caricel ‘Comforted’ Judge Finds No Apparent Threat To National Security

Jamaica – Telecommunication company Caricel says it is comforted by the finding of Supreme Court judge Leighton Pusey that there is no apparent threat to national security as a result of the mobile licence granted to its parent company Symbiote Investments… more

Jamaican doctor ready to roll out health service technology using app

Jamaica – After 16 years of research and development, Dr Winston Davidson yesterday revealed that he is ready to launch medical technology that will revolutionalise the provision of health services in Jamaica, starting with the hospitality industry… more

UPDATE: Caricel comfortable with legal basis for court’s decision

Jamaica – Caricel in a release this afternoon said that it is comfortable with the legal basis on which the Supreme Court made its judgment today, in its case seeking to block the Government from revoking its mobile spectrum licence… more

CXC launches electronic testing

Regional – Candidates taking the test from the Caribbean Examinations Council may now to do so using a computer or an equivalent device… more

CXC successfully hosts inaugural e-testing

Regional – In its continued quest to embrace the evolution of Information Technology, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) yesterday announced that it has successfully hosted its inaugural bout of electronic testing (e-testing)… more

FLOW Announces New Retail Sales Manager And Commercial Manager

Saint Kitts and Nevis – Mr. Kevin Edwards, the former Marketing Manager, replaces Anthony Morton as the new Retail Sales Manager as of January 1, 2017… more

Cyber laws and individual rights

Saint Lucia – With racy photos and screenshots circulating the internet like wildfire and political temperaments are rising, many users are now concerned with the privacy of their conversations, texts and video chats while using the web… more

Going global with local services

Trinidad and Tobago – There were a lot of words spoken at the “initiation” of the Global Services Promotion Programme, a project of the Ministry of Planning and Development and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)… more

Wednesday, 25 January 2017

GK set to launch mobile money product — GK MPay

Jamaica – GraceKennedy subsidiary GK Money Services Ltd, which will in February launch its mobile money product, GK MPay, indicates that it expects to compete strongly around the issue of security… more

Jamaica ready to go mobile with government payments — Livingstone Morrison

Jamaica – Payment systems expert, Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Deputy Governor Livingstone Morrison, says that Jamaica — for which payment systems are much more advanced than some of its neighbours — is now ready to provide government payments on a mobile platform… more

Regional Examinations Body Begins E-testing

Regional – The Barbados-based Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) reported success as it officially launched its Electronic Testing Service to the region yesterday… more

Uber told they’re breaking TT’s laws

Trinidad and Tobago – UBER may have been ill-advised about this country’s laws regarding cars for hire prior to its January 16 launch, says Works and Transport Minister, Rohan Sinanan… more

Thursday, 26 January 2017

ASYCUDA still under review

Antigua and Barbuda – Following the introduction of the ASYCUDA World system, officials here have mapped out the next step for review, to ensure that the system is functioning as intended… more

Mother sentenced for damaging son’s phone

British Virgin Islands – A mother has appeared before the Magistrate’s Court in the British Virgin Islands for damaging her son’s mobile phone… more

Alexandra Hospital To Issue Computerised Health Information Cards From January 30^th

Saint Kitts and Nevis – The Alexandra Hospital, the main health facility on Nevis, will move closer to offering optimal service, when it begins issuing computerised Health Information cards from January 30, 2017… more

The trouble with Transparency

Trinidad and Tobago – Placing 101 out of 176 countries on Transparency International’s corruption perception index is not good. That’s T&T’s score this year, on a par with Peru, the Philippines and Gabon. But just how good is the index? … more

Friday, 27 January 2017

Education Ministry and CXC commence e-testing talks

Guyana – In the near future, local students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination could look forward to doing so by means of electronic testing (e-testing)… more

Caricel could be heading back to court

Jamaica – EMBATTLED mobile phone provider Symbiote is now contemplating whether it should seek judicial review in relation to notices of investigation issued by the Government in its move to take steps to revoke the company’s domestic mobile carrier and spectrum licences… more

Destination Experience kicks off

Jamaica – The list of speakers for this week’s Destination Experience continues to grow, with the announcement that overstock.com’s CEO and founder Dr Patrick M Byrne will be attending Jamaica’s Global Economic Renaissance Summit being held at Spanish Court Hotel – The Worthington in New Kingston… more

Digicel, Flow endorse Stay Alert App

Jamaica – Telecommunications providers Digicel and Flow today endorsed the Stay Alert App, introduced by the Ministry of National Security as an important technological tool in the fight against crime… more

Jamaican opens way to revocation of Caricel licence

Jamaica – A Jamaican court has dismissed the application for an injunction brought by Symbiote Investments, the holding company for the Caricel brand, against an investigation ordered by country’s Spectrum Management Authority (SMA), reports the Jamaica Observer… more

Stay Alert To Be Automatically Available On Smartphones

Jamaica – The Ministry of National Security has partnered with telecommunications companies Digicel and Flow to make the Stay Alert application (app) automatically available on smartphones… more

Time to turn up innovation and introduce block chain technology — Street Forrest

Jamaica – Asserting that in uncertain times the need for innovation increases, general manager of the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Marlene Street-Forrest said responsible authorities within the region must begin to embrace the changes dictated by global trends — including removing artificial currency controls and opening doors to new technology… more

Call for e-money to be made simple

Regional – Financial Technology Developer Alex Straun has told financial stakeholders in the Eastern Caribbean who are considering using digital currencies they must ensure that the system is simplified in such a way that everyone can use it… more

Digicel Launches New App for Music Lovers

Regional – As the region’s leader in telecommunications and entertainment Digicel has unveiled yet another amazing product offering to the St. Lucian market… more

NTRC I² Competition Concludes

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – The annual ‘Ideas and Innovations, I² Competition’ hosted by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC), culminated in a Grand Finale and Prize Giving Ceremony at the Conference Room of the National Insurance Services, Thursday, 19th January… more

Uber to work closely with Govt

Trinidad and Tobago – SAN FRANCISCO- BASED online transportation network Uber Technologies Inc, is pledging to work closely with relevant government agencies to provide a “modern, affordable, safe and insured alternative transportation” network for the public… more

Saturday, 28 January 2017

GWI systems hit by malware

Guyana – The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) says several of its systems have been hit by malware and other arrangements have to be made for billings and collections as of today… more

Message From Dr. Hon. Andrew Wheatley on Data Privacy Day

Jamaica – Jamaica joins the rest of the world in observing Data Privacy Day, on Saturday, January 28, under the theme; Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust… more

NWC work damages FLOW fibre network, customers affected

Jamaica – FLOW Jamaica has advised that accidental damage to its fibre network, caused by work being carried out by the National Water Commission (NWC) in the Spanish Town, St Catherine has affected in its services in the area… more

Sunday, 29 January 2017

GWI calls in cyber crime police to probe malware attack

Guyana – The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has called cyber crime experts from the police force and has engaged other technical personnel to determine whether its system was deliberately attacked… more

Image credits:  Brands of the World;  Wikipedia;  Wikipedia;

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Based on what we have witnessed around us, and have otherwise observed, the tech entrepreneur tends to be young – typically well under the age of 35. As a result, and to some degree, there seems to be a stigma, or at the very least expressions of surprise, when more weathered individuals are also in that category. Below, we discuss some of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the youthful and older entrepreneur.

The perception of risk

Generally, in having been in the world of work for at least a decade and a half, and possibly with the responsibility of family and children, older entrepreneurs may be need more stability in their lives. They may be more averse to financial instability that could be experienced when establishing and operating their own business, and especially when they might have several commitments that must be met, for example, mortgage, car payments, their children’s needs, planning for retirement, etc.

On the other hand, youth entrepreneurs are likely to have relatively few obligations and limited overheads, when compared with their other compatriots. Some might still be young enough to live at home, or to be supported by family and friends without undue hassle. Further, and at that age, they may be more likely to be buoyed by enthusiasm, which fuels their fearlessness and propels them to jump in and try to launch their exciting, new venture.

The blessing and curse of experience

Possessing life and work experience can hold anyone in good stead, especially to guide the choices and decisions they make, and reduce the chances of grave missteps. That is a key argument made in favor of the older entrepreneur, who is likely to better navigate some of the pitfalls, but also more efficiently address some of the challenges that inevitably emerge when managing a startup or business.

Having said this, it could also be argued that ignorance is bliss. In the absence of experience, and being oblivious of potential pitfalls, the younger entrepreneur may be more inclined to focus on the desired outcomes, and not overthink challenges or situations that ‘could’ emerge. With more mature individuals, they can sometimes allow themselves to be dissuaded from embarking on a new venture, by drawing on past experiences (of themselves and others), and ultimately talking themselves out of starting a business in the first place.

Resources to further the business

At some point during a business’ evolution, it draws on resources of its owner, and of others. In the first instance, young entrepreneurs are likely to rely primarily on family and friends to finance their venture, as many of them might not yet have developed adequate credit history, or a longstanding relationship with their bank to leverage secure needed funds.

On the other hand, the mature entrepreneur, may be able to draw on his our own savings, for example, to fund the business, in addition to the support family and friends. Also, s/he is likely to have nurtured a broad range of relationships over time, and may be in a better position to draw on them, to secure funding, or for contacts that can assist them and the business.

The struggle

Starting and growing a business can be a harrowing experience, filled with considerable sacrifice across many aspects of the entrepreneur’s life and that of their family. The young entrepreneur, who may only have responsibility for his- or herself, may be more than willing to put in the long days and/or nights, along with the financial sacrifices, and absences from family and friends, to feed into the business.

With the more mature individual, compromises may have to be made as dictated by his/her life responsibilities. Hence, on the face of it, it be argued that the older entrepreneur may not have the stamina to struggle and nurture a fledgeling business venture on a sustained basis.

The above points, are just a few of the arguments that can be made for and against young and older entrepreneurs. Although in summary, they appear in favour of youth and enthusiasm, the benefit of experience can lead to a less stormy path, and a successful and viable business at the end.

Image credit:  Tambako The Jaguar (flickr)

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