{"id":3492,"date":"2012-03-22T22:28:21","date_gmt":"2012-03-23T03:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=3492"},"modified":"2013-04-30T21:14:07","modified_gmt":"2013-05-01T02:14:07","slug":"expert-insights-2-cyber-threats-and-security-in-the-caribbean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2012\/03\/expert-insights-2-cyber-threats-and-security-in-the-caribbean\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert insights 2: Cyber threats and security in the Caribbean"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the second in our series seeking insight from network\/IT security professionals across the Caribbean on cyber intrusion and security in the region.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nullvalue\/\"<\/a>In our inaugural\u00a0cyber threats and security \u201cExpert insights\u201d<\/a>, featuring Niel Harper from Barbados, he confirmed that online threats are far more prevalent in the Caribbean than we might have realised. Moreover, organisations rarely report intrusions, and in Barbados, there is insufficient capacity for cyber security response.<\/p>\n

In this the second in our series, we have a Jamaican perspective. Garfield Gordon, Territory Systems Engineer for Cisco Systems Inc<\/a>., based in Jamaica, has graciously responded to a series of questions posed by ICT Pulse. Garfield has over 20 years\u2019 experience in the IT\/ICT space, and his areas of expertise include: Systems Integration, Networking, Internet, Security, Wireless, Mobile, Application Development and Business Enablement.<\/p>\n

ICT Pulse:\u00a0 Garfield, how prevalent do you think cyber intrusions are in Jamaica, and in the wider Caribbean? By chance, do you have access to any data?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Garfield Gordon:\u00a0 It is common knowledge within the IT community that there are various intrusion attempts daily.\u00a0 What is not stated or readily apparent is the success rate of some of these attempts.\u00a0 Most of these attempts can be classified by the methods being used: port scanning, \u201cscript kiddie\u201d<\/em> type applications, and orchestrated intrusion attempts that are very clinical in targeting a specific vulnerability within a system.<\/p>\n

In Jamaica, there have been a few media reports about people being charged for cyber crimes<\/a>, ABM fraud<\/a>, lottery fraud<\/a>, etc. with the police seizing electronic equipment used to commit the aforementioned crimes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>ICTP:\u00a0 Based on your experience, what are some of the common misconceptions that organisations have about network security?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>GG:\u00a0 A number of organizations focus only on network security but fail to address the other pillars of security, being physical security and application security. A number of applications can still be compromised by using the \u201cSQL injection\u201d<\/em> method of attack and even worse, some applications are written with the \u201csa\u201d<\/em> username and password within the application or website. Some intruders manage to use social engineering techniques to gain access although we (at Cisco) have been providing information on this technique for the past decade.<\/p>\n

Additionally, most organizations only focus on the perimeter security and fail to address activities that may originate internally within the network like viruses, worms, Trojans, bots and deliberate attempts to compromise systems and retrieve data. Some IT security staff believe that a one-time review of the systems and event logs every day is sufficient. However, they need to do this more frequently and implement the necessary system(s) to correlate incidents or suspicious activities.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>ICTP:\u00a0 Are any trends you have noticed, or have been reported, regarding threats\/intrusions in Jamaica, or in the region?<\/strong><\/p>\n

GG: \u00a0Based on information provided to me, I can state that there has been an increase in reconnaissance activities, Denial of Service (DDoS, DoS), and penetration attempts within our top tier business verticals, being telecommunications, finance and insurance. Each territory in the Caribbean experiences different levels of penetration attempts or intrusions based on their staple markets. Cayman and Bermuda, for example, have a perceived higher rate of attempts probably because there are more financial and insurance companies in those territories.<\/p>\n

ICTP:\u00a0 Are there any hardware and\/or software solutions you believe might be more effective in addressing cyber intrusions?<\/strong><\/p>\n

GG: There are a number of vendors that provide security solutions but most focus only on the network security pillar. Cisco has solutions to address all of the security pillars previously mentioned. The links to the solutions are listed below:<\/p>\n