Opportunities in cyber security

CYBERSECURITY can be a tool for national development. This idea is being promoted by the Planning and Development Ministry through its partnership with Check Point Software in the Global Services Promotion Programme (GSPP).

A statement issued by the ministry said a recent GSPP workshop was held at the ministry’s global services internationalization hub at the Flagship Building at Tamana InTech Park.

The GSPP is a project aimed at expanding the Information Technology enabled Services (ITeS) sector of TT into a leading global brand in all areas related to the digital economy as part of the country’s economic transformation.

In light of recent electronic threats and breeches to several oraganisations’ networks globally, the field of cybersecurity poses great opportunities for local experts to provide specialized services that can be outsourced universally.

Forbes magazine has estimated that by 2019, the global cybersecurity sector is expected to be worth US $170 billion. The Government’s aim is to ensure that TT is a recipient of the opportunities associated with this sum as part of the National Development Strategy, Vision 2030. This policy document places economic diversification high on the Government’s agenda. GSPP has conducted a number of similar training sessions with Facebook, Google, IBM and other multinational and local companies. Google earlier in May announced through the Latin America and the Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC) that they have selected TT as one of three countries to kick off training initiatives aimed at strengthening digital capabilities in the region.