In a public address today, the Minister of Technology, Marsha Caddle, announced that the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) will be reaching out to individuals whose personal information may have been compromised in the recent data breach of its vehicle registration database, first reported on October 3.
The breach was officially documented and reported to the Data Protection Commissioner.
In the address, Minister Caddle updated the public, stating that upon discovering the incident, the government swiftly established an incident response team comprising members from the National Cyber Security Unit, the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) cyber unit, and local and international cybersecurity experts. This team has worked diligently to contain the breach and bolster the security of existing infrastructure.
“Now to the next steps as we move to close this incident: we have no reason to believe that any information from this breach has so far been used to commit fraud or other harmful activities. Much of the information breached was the kind of administrative documentation that is reasonably low risk, but some of the information carries personal identifying data,” the Minister highlighted.
“For this reason, out of an abundance of caution and to help the affected individuals identified to mitigate the potential impact of this incident, the BRA will contact those individuals and offer credit monitoring services for an agreed period to help them track whether their information is showing up in any online environment in any ways that they did not authorize.”
The breach, reported to have been accessed by an unauthorized party, primarily involved administrative documentation, which is considered low risk. However, some files contained personal identifying information, prompting the BRA to take immediate action.
Lieutenant Commander Neil Matthews, head of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) cyber unit, detailed the response efforts. “A thorough assessment of the root cause of this incident has been undertaken, and we’re working with the appropriate local and international law enforcement channels in line with best practices,” he explained. “Our forensic team looked at how the system was breached, confirmed the contents of the files involved, and undertaken a comprehensive review of the content of those files to determine what, if any, personal information they contain.”
To contain the breach, the incident response team initiated a lockdown of the affected systems and conducted a comprehensive review of vulnerabilities, implementing necessary security patches. “We have also enhanced our monitoring protocols to detect any unusual activity in real time, allowing us to respond promptly to potential threats,” Matthews added.
The Minister highlighted the government’s commitment to improving cybersecurity measures across public sector agencies. “This cybercrime, while regrettable, further underscores the necessity of the Government of Barbados’ ongoing efforts to systematically mature the overall cyber resilience of the public sector and all critical infrastructure by implementing appropriate safeguards across ministries, statutory corporations, and other state-owned enterprises,” she noted.
“It also reminds us of the measures we must take every day at an individual level to keep our sensitive information secure, things like not clicking on links sent by people you don’t know or with language that seems strange or unfamiliar, and using common measures like two-factor authentication for your email and social media. We’re going to be sharing these kinds of reminders from time to time, because ultimately, these are the kinds of steps that keep us all safe.”
The BRA plans to share additional information and helplines for those with questions regarding data privacy.
As the investigation continues, the government will also launch a national Cyber and Information Security Awareness Program to educate citizens about proactive measures they can take to protect their sensitive information. The Minister concluded by reminding individuals to stay vigilant and stated, “We are committed to ensuring continued transparency in a way that maintains the integrity of this investigation and our overall national security resilience. And in a way that continues to build trust among Barbadians and those with whom we interact.”
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