JERSEY’S digital defences are due to be bolstered in response to a growing cyber security threat, with the Channel Islands facing around ten million cyber attacks a month.
Deputy Chief Minister Kirsten Morel and Assistant Chief Minister Alex Curtis outlined the government’s intention to invest in cyber security to help combat attacks at this week’s Channel Islands Cyber Security Conference.
At the event – one of a series of initiatives to mark Cyber Security Awareness Month – Deputy Morel said that the threat posed by digital attacks had become ‘more elaborate’ and ‘expanded significantly in scope and seriousness’ since 2019 when the government’s Cyber Emergency Response Team was founded.
He noted that, in the same period of time, there had been a significant increase in remote working.
According to figures shown at the conference, the Channel Islands were subjected to around ten million cyber attacks a month.
CERT director Matt Palmer also said that, in June, between five and 13 computers in Jersey were hijacked and used to carry out digital attacks in the United States, Germany and Hungary.
Deputy Morel said: ‘Cyber security is vital to protect not only our personal data, our economic interests and public services but our physical security too.
‘This subject can often seem abstract or remote from the public’s consciousness but the reality is that cyber attacks rank among the top risks for governments, businesses and individuals across the world today.’
Deputy Curtis said: ‘For the reasons that we’ve heard about from the Deputy Chief Minister and other speakers, the government will be investing new resources into our cyber security. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have stood up a Strategic Co-ordination Group and Cyber Technical Advice Cell to monitor Jersey’s cyber resilience.’
He added that the proposed Government Plan, lodged earlier this week, included investment in CERT to help build resilience in ‘high risk’ areas of the economy.
‘But this is a challenge which cannot be solved by government spending alone. We need organisations across our Island to take their cyber security seriously,’ he said.
Mr Palmer added: ‘Jersey has a clear strategy for improving its cyber security and strong support from government, but this is only part of the challenge. It is essential that everyone follows good practice guidance issued by CERT to secure their personal accounts and workplaces. Reaching a consistent baseline of cyber security across all sectors of the economy is essential to defending against the advanced threats we have heard about today.’
