How Caribbean Networks Are Upgrading

Forward-thinking network operators in Latin America and the Caribbean are using the Internet’s next-generation protocol, called IPv6, to gain a business edge over their competitors. The upside for customers is better quality of service, and in the long term a more future-proof regional Internet. The Internet Protocol, or IP, is the method by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each device on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the Internet.

Since World IPv6 Launch on June 6, 2012, several major websites such as Google, YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook have started rolling out IPv6.

Today, the message to ISPs is clear: don’t wait for other competitors to switchover to IPv6, and don’t wait until your clients switchover to your competitors.

“The old protocol, IPv4, doesn’t give the Internet any no room to grow, so in the near future, new clients and devices will need to connect using IPv6. Internet penetration is increasing worldwide, and more and more types of devices are connected. Internet providers need to take the IPv6 transition process very seriously in order to meet this growing demand in a satisfactory way,” said Alfredo Verderosa, Manager of Services at the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Address Registry (LACNIC), a non-governmental organisation based in Uruguay.

In the last months, IPv6 penetration among Internet users has grown in markets such as Guatemala, where about seven per cent of people using the Internet now have access to the new protocol. Verderosa expects that IPv6 transition will soon have a very positive impact on Guatemala’s Internet landscape.

“Although the numbers aren’t huge, they are still relatively good, since many countries’ adoption rate is actually closer to zero per cent,” he said.

While Guatemala’s IPv6 deployment is not high in absolute terms, it remains among the top in the region, alongside others like Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. For Guillermo Cicileo, Coordinator of Security, Stability and Resilience at LACNIC, the key takeaway is that there is at least one operator providing IPv6 to Internet users in Guatemala, and others operators won’t be too far behind.

“It’s important for ISPs to start the switchover soon, because failure to deploy IPv6 puts them at a serious disadvantage compared to those who have,” Cicileo said.

Verderosa and Cicileo were among several Internet experts gathered in Guatemala City for a three-day regional technology conference called LACNIC On The Move, held at Hilton Garden Inn from March 20 to 22. Since its establishment in 2002, LACNIC has played a leading role in developing a single, open, stable and secure Internet at the service of the development of Latin America and the Caribbean, and has more recently taken an active role in promoting IPv6 deployment across the region, through initiatives such as LACNIC On The Move.

“LACNIC also provides basic and advanced IPv6 training in-person and through its online campus. Our IPv6 Portal IPv6 is a great place for operators seeking free downloadable resources or more information about IPv6,” said Cesar Diaz, Head of Strategic Relations and Telecommunications at LACNIC.

Originally published: Caribbean Journal

Belize To Host First National Cybersecurity Symposium

BELIZE CITY, Belize—In response to a growing incidence of cyber-threats, Belize will host its first national cyber security symposium from April 24 to 27.

“We have observed a disturbing rise in threats to critical network infrastructure, corporate networks and personal data. These threats are growing more frequent, more sophisticated and more harmful each year,” said John Avery, Chairman of the Belize Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which is jointly organising the event with the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG).

“There has also been a disturbing proliferation of Internet-related criminal activity perpetrated against citizens. Meanwhile, Belizean laws have struggled to keep pace with malicious technology-enabled actors who pay no regard to borders, jurisdictions or local law enforcement readiness,” he added.

The symposium is being billed as an important first step in changing the national discourse around cyber-issues. The four-day meeting is expected to attract a broad range of local, regional and international delegates, including heads of technology organisations, industry executives, government ministers and public sector officials.

Belize has low Internet penetration, less than 40 per cent according to recent World Bank data. As a consequence, cybersecurity issues simply are not top of mind in much of Belizean society. Avery said that the symposium is deliberately aimed at gathering diverse voices and viewpoints, so that a wide range of sectors could lend their strength to the country’s cyber security action plan.

“Our larger objective is the development of a set of actionable priorities for strengthening our cyber defenses, safeguarding Internet users and creating an environment with digital-enabled innovation can thrive,” he explained.

Guarding the Digital Gates Bevil Wooding, Executive Director of CaribNOG and an Internet Strategist with US-based Packet Clearing House, said that the growing concern over increased incidence of cybersecurity threats was not unique to Belize but also affecting the wider region.

“Attacks on corporate networks, financial institutions, government agencies and personal devices have increased exponentially in Belize and the wider Caribbean. There has also been a disturbing proliferation of criminal activity perpetrated against members of society. Our laws and policies have struggled to keep pace with malicious, tech-savvy actors who pay no regard to borders, jurisdictions or local law-enforcement readiness,” Wooding said.

Unlike almost every other Central and South American country, but like most Caribbean nations, Belize has “neither a cyber-defense policy nor a national CSIRT; consequently, cyberattacks are mainly handled by the IT Unit of the Belize Police Department,” a 2016 report on Latin American and Caribbean cybersecurity by the Organisation of American States and Inter-American Development Bank observes.

A Computer Security Incident Response Team, or CSIRT, provides services and support to a community in order to prevent, manage and respond to information security incidents. There are hundreds of these teams in the world, operating within varying mission and scope. CSIRTs are usually made up of specialists across a number of disciplines, who respond in concert to security incidents and follow agreed procedures intended to mitigate the risk of cyberattacks.

“Guarding our digital gates is a collective responsibility. This is why it is so important to have a truly national forum where the threats can be explained to the widest possible cross-section of society, together with practical steps that can be taken to strengthen laws, safeguard networks and protect businesses, citizens and especially our children online. These groups will be collaborating to develop a comprehensive, common approach to securing Belize’s digital future,” he added.

The forum aims to bring together business leaders, network operators, law enforcement agents, and members of the judiciary, legal fraternity, academia and civil society.

The Belize Public Utilities Commission and CaribNOG are coordinating the event on behalf of the Government of Belize, working closely with several ministries and State bodies including the Central IT Office, the National Security Council and the Office of the Chief Justice.  The high-profile event is also being supported by international partners, including Packet Clearing House and the Internet Society, and regional partners such as the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.

More information is available at the Belize Internet Governance Forum website https://cybersecurity.nigf.bz

Global experts focus on cybersecurity in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—Guatemala and other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean must continue to develop a more proactive, all-inclusive response to cybercrime and cyber terrorism. That's the opinion of an international expert panel at a recently concluded regional technology conference.

“Our response to cyber security threats must include broad-based and multi-stakeholder dialogue. The integration of various, diverse voices is foundational to the process of developing a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic threats that exist in our evolving cyber security landscape,” said Guillermo Cicileo, coordinator of security, stability and resilience at the Latin American and Caribbean Internet Address Registry (LACNIC), a non-governmental organisation established in Uruguay in 2002.

LACNIC’s stated mission is to lead the strengthening of a single, open, stable and secure Internet at the service of the development of Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting the collaborative Internet model.

Cicileo was among several cyber security experts gathered in Guatemala City for LACNIC On The Move, a regional technology conference taking place from March 20 to 22.

Anabella Rivera Godoy, head of the Guatemala-based Central American Institute for Social Democracy Studies, called for egalitarian dialogue about cyber security that includes actors and representatives from every sector of Latin American and Caribbean society – governments, businesses, technical community, academic fraternity and community-based organisations.

“The development of cyber security legislation and regulation is very important but is not sufficient to change the behaviour of Internet users. For this reason, policy development must be accompanied by an aggressive agenda to educate the users of technology on their rights and responsibilities,” said Jose Luis Chavez, operations manager at SSASA, a Guatemala-based digital security firm.

LACNIC On The Move Guatemala was held with the support of the Internet Society (ISOC) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and attracted the participation of global Internet giant, Google.

“The process of hammering out consensus around cybersecurity policy involves ongoing discussion about the kind of Internet that we want and the the kind of Internet that we need. Ultimately, the purpose of regulation is to facilitate the development of an open and safe Internet that we can all enjoy,” added Maria Cristina Capelo, public policy development manager for Latin America and the Caribbean at Google.

The next LACNIC On The Move event is expected to take place in Guyana in July.