Glendevon joins national CyberSMART Community Campaign
Published:Monday | August 25, 2025 | 12:06 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says technology is key to building safer communities, while noting that online safety is now directly tied to the country’s overall security.
Chang made the pronouncement while speaking at the unveiling of the Ministry of National Security’s CyberSMART Community Campaign at Glendevon Primary School in St James Northwest, where he was the sitting member of parliament until its dissolution ahead of the September 3 general election. He is running for re-election.
“In the first six months of this year alone, more than 200 cyber incidents were reported,” said Chang. “These include phishing emails, stolen bank information, hacked social media accounts, and identity theft.”
According to Chang, cyber crimes “are not victimless”, but instead cause “distress to families, financial loss to businesses, and reputational damage to institutions”.
“If trust is lost, the opportunities of the digital age will pass us by,” warned Chang.
The unveiling of the CyberSMART Community Campaign at the Glendevon Primary School, which was done under the theme ‘Building CyberSMART Communities, One Community at a Time’, is the first unveiling in western Jamaica. It forms part of the Government’s wider effort to raise public awareness and strengthen national defences against cyber threats.
Chang pointed out that, as Jamaica embraces rapid digital transformation, ranging from online banking and e-commerce to e-learning and digitised government services, the risks are mounting, even though government has outlined several measures to bolster Jamaica’s cyber defences.
Among the initiatives are the revised Cybercrimes Act, the Data Protection Act, and work now underway to establish a Cybersecurity Act. These are backed by the National Cybersecurity Strategy, which guides collaboration among government, civil society, and the private sector.
On the institutional side, Chang commended the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT), noting that its vigilance and public education efforts “have resulted in an almost 80 per cent reduction in attempted cyber intrusions”.
He also praised the Cybercrime Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for expanding its investigative and prosecutorial capacity to track down online offenders.
Chang further noted that partnerships with international organisations, including the International Development Bank (IDB), US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and CARICOM the Caribbean Community, are also central to Jamaica’s cyber strategy.
Despite the advances, Chang is insisting that ordinary citizens remain the most important players in Jamaica’s cyber defence.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are our most critical stakeholders in this fight against cyber threats. Your online practices are important to our efforts to keep Jamaica safe,” he said, while urging parents, business owners, and young people to take responsibility for their online behaviour.
“Cybersecurity begins at home. It begins with parents guiding their children, teaching them not to share personal information online. It begins with small business owners using strong, robust passwords and securing their digital transactions. It begins with young people understanding that a careless click on a suspicious link can put an entire household at risk,” he said.
The CyberSMART Community Campaign aims to equip Jamaicans with tools to protect themselves online. Initiatives such as the CyberSMART School Campaign and the National Youth Cyber Training and Certification Programme also seek to build career opportunities for young people in cyber security.
“My message to you today is simple but powerful: cyber security is national security. Practise safe online habits, protect your personal information, and share these lessons with your children, neighbours, and friends,” said Chang. “Working together will allow us to build CyberSMART communities and ensure that Jamaica stands strong in the digital age.”