Caribbean cybersecurity in focus at Internet Week Trinidad and Tobago

Government Campus Plaza
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The Latin American and Caribbean Internet Registry (LACNIC) will lead a regional cybersecurity workshop in Port of Spain from October 4 to 5. 


The two-day workshop will run from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on October 4th and continue from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on October 5th, at Level 12, Conference Centre, Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Government Campus Plaza Auditorium on Richmond Street, Port of Spain.


LACNIC is one of five regional Internet registries that coordinate the administration and distribution of Internet number resources worldwide. The workshop is being held under the umbrella of LACNIC's AMPARO project, an initiative that seeks to address emerging cybersecurity issues across the region. The registry serves the South America, Central America and several territories in the Caribbean. 

In this region, phishing and malware are the most common types of cyber incidents observed to date. The prevalence of these and other kinds of cyber attacks produce an unwanted economic impact, as they affect Internet users’ confidence in adopting digital technologies and consuming Internet-based services.

“Because cybersecurity is such a fundamental issue, LACNIC is pleased to offer our expertise in setting up Computer Security Incident Response Teams or CSIRTs. LACNIC works closely with the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, or FIRST, which brings together global experts for best practices on the operation of CSIRTs,” said Kevon Swift, Head of Strategic Relations and Integration at LACNIC.

The AMPARO workshop is one of five activities being held as part of Internet Week Trinidad and Tobago, a premium event intended to advance the Internet development agenda of the wider region.

Another key group of regional Internet stakeholders will discuss cybersecurity issues at the weeklong conference. On October 2, the Caribbean Network Operators Group will hold its sixteenth regional meeting, an all-day affair from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with the support of the Internet Society. CaribNOG 16 will focus on cybersecurity, outlining some of the foundational and necessary steps to secure an online environment in which Caribbean businesses can compete and collaborate internationally, across all industries. 

Another important aspect of regional cybersecurity is the speed with which telecommunications and computer networks respond to manmade threats or natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The Internet Society will conduct a session on October 3rd from 1 pm to 5:30 pm, continuing its capacity-building campaigns in the Caribbean region, this time with a particular focus on the issues of disaster management and mitigation.

LACNIC will join forces with Google to hold two workshops, intended to enhance local connectivity and strengthen the ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the Caribbean and Central America. On October 3rd, a half-day workshop from 8:00 am to midday will focus on marketing strategies for entrepreneurs, offering local business owners and start-up founders a package of free training on the use of Google’s digital marketing tools. 

Another two-day workshop starting on the same day will focus on the nuts and bolts of Internet connectivity and traffic optimisation, covering a range of technical issues such as the new Internet Protocol (IPv6), routing security (BGP and RPKI), peering models, open standards and root servers. It runs from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm on October 3rd and continues from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm on October 4th. The Interconnection workshop is by special invitation only.

The venue for the CaribNOG, Internet Society and Digital Marketing events will be on Level 4, Government Campus Plaza Auditorium, Richmond Street, Port of Spain. 

The Internet Week is being held with the support of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union. All activities are free of charge, but registration is required. 

More information is available at the official website:  https://internetweek.lacnic.net.