WASHINGTON, Oct 26, CMC – The Organization of American States (OAS) says cyber vulnerabilities continue to affect a “wide range of targets” in the Caribbean.
OAS Assistant Secretary General, Albert Ramdin, said while member-states are “ever-more familiar with cyber security threats, this awareness hasn’t stopped cyber vulnerabilities from continuing to affect a wide range of targets in the region”.
The OAS in collaboration with the Inter-American Development (IDB) held a regional workshop on cyber security, and Ramdin warned that cyber-attacks have “threatened to derail electoral voting processes in several OAS member states, putting into peril democratic institutions that underpin their political systems.
“Cyber-attacks have affected or will affect all countries at some point in time, regardless of size, politics, or economy.
“Along with the support of the IDB, we can plot the technical and political course the OAS will need to ensure that member states have at their disposal the best cyber security training assistance available.”.
The OAS said the “Regional Workshop on Cyber Security Policies” brought together officials from 28 OAS member-states as well as experts from Europe and the Asia Pacific region to discuss priorities and a regional cyber security agenda for the Americas, including the Caribbean.
The workshop was aimed at promoting and exchanging lessons learned, best practices, challenges, commonalities, and the different approaches countries and sectors have used in the development and implementation of national cyber security policies and strategies.
The OAS said the workshop was also geared towards fostering a global dialogue and multi-sectoral partnerships, with attendees from government, the private sector, civil society and academic stakeholders.
As part of their cooperation on the issue, the OAS and the IDB have committed to prepare a report titled “The State of Cybersecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
“Cyber security threats continue to grow unabated and continue to adapt to governments’ attempts to confront them. This has necessitated that the OAS react to and anticipate new threats to member states, which it has been doing since 2004,: the OAs added.
