Jamaica braces for cyber stress test

JAMAICA’s ability to withstand and recover from major cyberattacks will be put to the test later this month when the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT) stages a national exercise — CyberXJM26 — aimed at identifying weaknesses in the country’s cybersecurity defences and strengthening its response capabilities. Scheduled for October 28 and 29, the exercise seeks to provide the first full test of the country’s ability to coordinate its response to a major cyber incident. “CyberXjm26 puts national readiness to a public test, showing how well agencies, security forces, and the private sector can coordinate during an incident, identifying gaps that can be fixed before a real one,” JaCIRT director Lieutenant Colonel Godphey Sterling told the Jamaica Observer during a recent interview.

The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT) will stage a national exercise — CyberXJM26 — on October 28 and 29, aimed at identifying weaknesses in the country’s cybersecurity defences and strengthening its response capabilities.

“The aim is to cut the number of attacks that succeed and to recover quickly when one does,” he added. Dubbed Operation Sargasso Surge, the exercise seeks to simulate a single, escalating cyber incident, starting with minor activity before progressing through serious disruptions to a multi-sector national crisis. During the exercise participants will investigate incidents, solve challenges, and make decisions under pressure. The initiative is designed to test existing procedures, strengthen communication and collaboration, and identify weaknesses that need to be addressed before an actual emergency. It will bring together representatives from government ministries, departments and agencies, private-sector organisations, critical infrastructure operators, financial institutions, telecommunications providers, academic institutions, and other stakeholders. Activities will also extend to schools, universities, cybersecurity enthusiasts and professional incident-response teams. The initiative forms part of activities planned for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, observed this October under the theme ‘One Nation, Cyber Strong’. The month-long programme of events includes lectures, webinars, in-person sessions, a social media awareness campaign, and a cyber careers symposium. A national cyber exposé, scheduled for October 29, will also feature demonstrations and exhibits as it recognises contributors and volunteers who have helped to build Jamaica’s national incident-response capabilities for more than a decade. “The 2026 campaign seeks to change behaviour as it brings more awareness so that the public and organisations can begin to adopt habits that close off the easiest routes for attackers,” he said. “The cyber careers symposium, the competition tracks, and the Cyber Reserve also strengthen the talent pipeline, giving students and professionals a route into the field while giving the division a pool of skilled people it can call on before seeking outside help,” the lieutenant colonel added.

STERLING...the aim is to cut the number of attacks that succeed and to recover quickly when one does

Providing an update on Jamaica’s cybersecurity posture, Sterling said progress had been made, although significant gaps remain. “Key foundations are now in place — the Cybercrimes Act was amended in February and the national cybersecurity standards framework and incident response plan are finalised. A national coordinating council is proceeding to Cabinet and a Cyber Reserve is being established to draw on students, professionals, and members of the security forces during national incidents. However, some gaps are remaining,” Sterling said, as he pointed to the more than 35,000 instances of cyberattacks that originated from Jamaica since the start of this year, in addition to approximately 12 million vulnerability instances that have affected local systems and services. “These continue to be monitored and prioritised for mitigation by the CIRT Division. The principal active threats are ransomware, phishing, and AI-assisted attacks,” he added, while noting that opportunistic fraud, including fraudulent donation websites that emerged following Hurricane Melissa, remains a concern. Going forward, Sterling said that improving the country’s defences will require greater investment in modern detection and automation tools, stronger vulnerability management, and closer information-sharing arrangements with banks, telecommunications providers, and other critical sectors. He also underscored the need for stronger legislative authority to empower JaCIRT to require organisations to meet cybersecurity standards and report incidents in a timely manner. To build long-term capacity, Sterling said the entity is relying on the Strengthening Cybersecurity in Jamaica (SCIJ) Project, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and implemented through the Office of the Prime Minister. The project, which runs from September 2025 to March 2031, aims to bolster cybersecurity protection across public institutions as it expands the pool of specialised professionals available locally. “JaCIRT’s work is about shifting from reacting to incidents towards preventing them, building a deeper pool of skilled people and ensuring that the country can withstand and recover from an attack. The SCIJ Project is the long-term engine behind much of this as it aims to turn the completed standards framework and incident response plan into practical protection and a stronger workforce across the public sector,” he said. Beyond testing national readiness, JaCIRT is stepping up its monitoring of cyberspace as it urges individuals and businesses to remain vigilant ahead of the busy Black Friday and Christmas shopping periods, when financially motivated cybercrimes are expected to intensify. “The outlook for the rest of 2026 is for high, seasonal threat activity, with the main risk shifting to fraud and financially motivated attacks,” Sterling said. “Phishing and WhatsApp account takeovers remain the most common routes to harm individuals, while ransomware and credential theft remain the main risks for organisations, especially over the holidays when staffing is reduced and detection is slower,” he further said.