Above: Kingston (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica has officially launched a new “cybersecurity strategy” for the island.

The strategy was launched at a ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston earlier this week.

The strategy aims to make the country safe for business operation and provide security for people using the Internet, according to a government statement.

“[Cybercrime] is an enormous toll on global resources, and Jamaica is not spared from that risk,” said United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Luis Moreno, who was on hand for the ceremony. “So, I commend the Government for its foresight and initiative in reassuring foreign and domestic companies that Jamaica takes economic espionage seriously.

Part of the strategy includes making sure that legal and law enforcement professionals have the right training to tackle cybercrimes, the government said, and that will receive a boost from the government of the United Kingdom.

“All aspects of cybersecurity are important, and we work here in Jamaica with the operational arm of the security services to help with the cybersecurity approach of Jamaica,” said British High Commissioner to Jamaica David Fitton. “The launch is extremely important, and taking it further, we are determined to work with you.”

Jamaican Minister of State in the Ministry of Technology Julian Robinson said that with the increase in web-based business transactions, it was important to have a safe environment for “all activities within the cyber domain.”

“It is important as we put more Jamaicans online, that we have the necessary safeguards,” Robinson said. “A 10 per cent increase in broadband leads to about one per cent in Gross Domestic Product growth.”