Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 13, 2016 (SKNIS)—Deloitte’s Global Chief Information Officer, Larry Quinlan, said that despite increased improvements in technology in the Caribbean and Latin America, the regions remain highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
Speaking at the Prime Minister’s Independence Lecture Series at the Nevis Performing Arts Center (NEPAC) on September 12 as part of the activities to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Independence from Great Britain, Mr. Quinlan said “there is a price to be paid for all the unfettered computing and it’s called cybersecurity.”
“It is a concern that will continue to grow worldwide and one that threatens to engulf us in developing countries if we’re not careful,” he emphasized.
Making reference to the 2016 Cybersecurity Report produced by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Organization of American States (OAS), the Deloitte executive, who is responsible for all facets of technology from strategy and applications to infrastructure and innovation at the multinational firm, said “four out of every five countries in the region do not have a cybersecurity strategy or plans for protecting critical infrastructure.”
“Two out of every three countries do not have a command and control center for cybersecurity and a large number of prosecutors lack the capacity to punish cyber criminals,” while pointing out that cyber-crime has now gone well beyond the e-mail that one used to receive requesting one’s bank account details, but that it now strikes at the heart of businesses and governments, having become far more sophisticated and having the capability of destabilizing institutions.
“As we mark the 33rd anniversary of Independence, I am pleased to have the opportunity to share my perspective on technology as one of the levers that we can pull on our path to promoting prosperity through sustainability and national unity,” said Mr. Quinlan.
“Promoting Prosperity through Sustainability and National Unity” is the theme for the 33rd Anniversary of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Independence.
