NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamas must “catch up” to global cybersecurity practices, according to a cybersecurity expert, who noted that many Bahamian businesses have been reactive rather than proactive in addressing cyber threats.
Dragon Tek International’s CEO and Founder, Ken Wong, told Eyewitness News at the CyberTek Bahamas: DragonTek’s Cybersecurity Summit, “The current landscape for cybersecurity in The Bahamas right now, compared to the Caribbean, is okay. But looking at it from a global perspective, The Bahamas needs to catch up on global standards and practices. Over 15 years working here, I’ve seen a very reactive approach. Companies wait until something happens, and then they go into chaos mode instead of planning it out, creating a solid IT foundation, and developing a cybersecurity roadmap for a more cost-effective way of maintaining security. We want to educate Bahamian businesses that hackers aren’t using fishing lines anymore; they’re using fishing nets. They don’t care who they catch.”
He emphasized the need for businesses to shift from a reactive to a proactive stance, adding, “Locally, I’m seeing a lot of WhatsApp links, phishing texts, and other standard phishing attacks. At the end of the day, these attacks prey on human nature.”
As for the sectors most targeted by cyber threats, Wong noted, “Right now, in The Bahamas, I would say a lot of the financial, private banking, and wealth management firms are being hit. Small businesses are also being affected, especially those that only respond to problems as they arise. I’ve seen more and more small businesses in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and the U.S. being shut down because they cannot recover. If you rely on digital data and lose access to it for a week or two, it’s detrimental for a business.”
He urged companies to invest in cybersecurity as a solution to protect their businesses, noting that firms in the cybersecurity industry can provide risk assessments and IT roadmaps, so companies are not left reacting when something happens and can instead implement the right protections in advance.
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