The Tribune

The Bahamas has launched its National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) in a bid to better protect its digital infrastructure from rapidly-evolving online threats.

The Cabinet-approved strategy, which is founded on five core objectives, sets out a road map for how The Bahamas plans to fortify its cyber security framework against the growing threat from cyber attacks. Its launch occurred at the National Cybersecurity Strategy workshop, which was held from December 3-6 at the British Colonial Hotel.

The event brought together local stakeholders and international partners with the support of the US Embassy and US Department of State. Representatives from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research and Engineering (MITRE) were present, along with government agencies, infrastructure providers and private sector leaders.

Kimberly Furnish, chargé d’Affaires at the US embassy in Nassau, said: “The United States has long supported a collaborative approach to combating cyber crime. That is why we’re pleased to galvanise support from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research and Engineering (MITRE) to support such important efforts led by the CIRT-BS.”

CIRT-BS is The Bahamas’ Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT). Ms Furnish added: “Digital solidarity is when we stand together to combat bad actors in cyber space. We are all vulnerable to bad actors, especially government-funded bad actors, who carry out these acts for either financial gain or to undermine world peace and security.

“We will continue to support Bahamian efforts to fight these bad actors, which includes the implementation of The Bahamas’ National Cybersecurity Strategy.” The strategy is designed as a comprehensive framework to address the growing cyber security challenges The Bahamas faces, and is founded on five key concepts or pillars.

These involve strengthening governance frameworks to establish clear roles and responsibilities for cyber security management; boosting The Bahamas’ ability to detect, prevent and respond to cyber incidents; protecting critical infrastructure such as banking, healthcare and utilities from potential cyber attacks; educating businesses and individuals on best practices to safeguard their data; and strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement to combat cyber crime.

Sametria McKinney, director of CIRT Bahamas, said: “This strategy empowers us to tackle both immediate and long-term cyber security challenges, outlining critical objectives to enhance our national resilience and safeguard the digital future of our nation.

“Its success depends on the collective commitment of both the public and private sectors, uniting efforts to strengthen defenses, protect vital infrastructure and secure a resilient digital economy for generations to come.”

Since its launch in December 2023, the National Computer Incident Response Team of The Bahamas (CIRT-BS) has been the primary authority responsible for implementing the National CyberSecurity Strategy. It is the focal point for co-ordinating responses to cyber attacks and providing real-time monitoring of these risks.

The Team offers various services including awareness training, incident management support, event monitoring and vulnerability assessments. As a result, The Bahamas is the first English-speaking Caribbean country to secure membership in the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), reflecting its growing reputation as a regional cybersecurity leader.

It also has affiliations with other premier international cyber security organisations, including CSIRT Americas of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the United States.

The initiative is one component of a $30m project financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in 2019. It falls under the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ digital transformation unit.