Basil Jarrett | Driving cybersecurity: How our automobile past can secure our cyber future

THE YEAR is 1899 and on the bustling streets of New York City one brisk September afternoon, 69-year-old Henry Hale Bliss stepped from a southbound 8th Avenue trolley car, into the path of an electric-powered taxicab and straight into the record books. Amid the clatter of horse-drawn carriages of the day and the hum of early electric innovation, Bliss became the first recorded fatal victim of an automobile accident in the United States. His death came 30 years after Irish woman, Mary Ward, became the world’s first crash fatality when she was crushed by a steam-powered carriage in 1869.

Both deaths foreshadowed the carnage that was to come over the next century, thanks to the creation of the automobile, a new technological marvel that would quite literally move mankind forward in leaps and bounds. While the invention of the automobile heralded an era of unprecedented mobility and convenience, it also came at a heavy cost as the first automobile accidents tragically reminded us that progress is often a double-edged sword. But they also sounded alarm bells regarding the need for traffic rules and regulations, safety measures and a road code.

LESSONS FROM THE PAST

In other words, society did not respond by banning or discouraging the use of cars. Rather, it embraced change and established rules of the road, licensing requirements, safety standards and traffic signals to ensure the safety of its citizens. In much the same way, it’s 1869 all over again. This time, however, as we navigate the information superhighway in the digital age, we must recognise that like car accidents, cyberattacks are the inevitable growing pains of our technological progress.

The parallels between the advent of the automobile and the rise of cyberattacks are striking. Both represent transformative technological leaps that brought profound changes to society. In the early days of automobiles, fatal accidents were alarmingly frequent. But rather than shying away from embracing this new mode of transportation, society adapted and evolved. As cars became faster and more capable, they also became safer and more assured.

Fast-forward to today’s digital age, and we find ourselves in a similar situation. The digital revolution has brought unparalleled convenience, connectivity, and innovation, but it has also brought new dangers and threats. Cyberattacks are the accidents of our digital highways, and they are on the rise, especially post-COVID.

INCREASINGLY COMMON ATTACKS

The recent attack on the Financial Services Commission (FSC) underscores the fact that cybercrimes and ransomware attacks are increasingly common as sophisticated cybercriminals attempt to take advantage of the new Internet users ushered in since the pandemic.

In that regard, the attack on the FSC, as regrettable as it was, is nothing new in this digital age. While certainly, most cyberattacks tend to take place in the private sector, governments worldwide, as we’ve come to discover, are not immune.

In 2020, for instance, the Canadian Revenue Agency was hit by a cyberattack that compromised the personal accounts of over 5,500 individuals and online portals related to COVID-19 relief programmes in that country. In 2021, an attack involving Babuk ransomware resulted in the theft and ransom of 250 gigabytes of Washington, DC, police data including police officer personnel files, arrest records, and intelligence memos. Then there was the 2022 ransomware attack in New Mexico which disabled the surveillance cameras and data-collection capabilities at the Bernalillo County jail, forcing prison officials to confine inmates to their cells for an extended period.

NO ONE IS SAFE

Clearly, no one, not even the FSC, is immune in this cat-and-mouse game as cybercriminals attempt to stay one step ahead of even the most sophisticated cybersecurity experts and personnel. And the keyword here is ‘criminal’. In the finger pointing that occurred following the FSC ransomware attack, we oftentimes forget that a crime was committed here. A very sophisticated crime committed by very sophisticated criminals.

Now just as early automobiles quickly became faster and more capable, so too did the need for greater safety features increase. Similarly, as digital systems today become faster, more common and more capable, so too is the need to stay apace with the speed at which criminals can devise ways to exploit them. Compounding the situation is the fact that most online users, especially the 700 million that have come online since COVID, have very little knowledge or awareness of cybersecurity and practise very poor cyber hygiene.

DRIVING FORWARD

The solution therefore is not to turn back the clock on technology but rather to drive forward with increased awareness and more robust cybersecurity practices. The simple fact is that our lives, both personal and professional, are now intrinsically linked to the digital realm. From banking to healthcare, education to entertainment, our reliance on technology is undeniable. For many, attempting to disconnect from the digital world is neither practical nor feasible. I can’t tell you how difficult it was to disable my Facebook account recently, after I’d grown tired of being reminded of how I looked with hair on my head. Not that I have a problem being ba,ld mind you, but at least back then it was completely voluntary. In the end, after hours and hours trying to navigate the platform’s maze-like options to delete an account, I gave up and a two-week suspension was the best deal that I could negotiate.

The point here is that the technology and its inextricable impact on our lives is here to stay. And just as we did not abandon cars after Mary Ward and Henry Bliss, but rather made them safer, we must move similarly to secure our digital landscape.

Another compelling reason is that the economic consequences of cyberattacks are staggering. Governments and businesses suffer significant financial losses, while individuals can lose their life savings or have their personal information exposed. In fact, the World Economic Forum ranks cyberattacks as one of its top global risks, underscoring the need for comprehensive cybersecurity measures.

Then there is the national security implication. Cyberattacks pose a real threat to national security as nation-states and criminal organisations increasingly use cyberspace to target critical infrastructure, steal sensitive data, and disrupt essential services. Strengthening our cybersecurity defences is no longer just a matter of personal responsibility but a matter of national security.

In that regard, the Government’s push to establish the new National Cybersecurity Authority within the next two to four years can’t come quickly enough. The authority is critical as it will create and provide overarching guidance to how cyber – our computers and computer networks – is treated in Jamaica. The entity will develop national cybersecurity policies, monitor cyber threats, provide skills training, and develop human capital. Very importantly, it will also upgrade the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team, moving the entity from being just a response element in dealing with cyberattacks, towards bringing a level of governance, risk management and compliance to our cyber ecosystem.

But none of these moves will be effective without increased awareness and education of that most critical node – our people. The average Jamaican must understand the risks and the measures needed to protect themselves and their organisations in this digital age. It’s akin to taking and passing your driver’s licence test. You wouldn’t jump behind the wheel of a powerful automobile without at least knowing how to start, stop and steer safely, would you? Exactly. That’s why, in many respects, history is repeating itself and it’s 1869 all over again.

Major Basil Jarrett is a communications strategist and CEO of Artemis Consulting, a communications consulting firm specialising in crisis communications and reputation management. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Threads @IamBasilJarrett and linkedin.com/in/basiljarrett. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com