Letter of the Day | Cyberwarfare is no longer a future threat

THE EDITOR, Madam:

War is no longer fought only with soldiers, weapons and borders. The attacker may be thousands of miles away, operating through stolen credentials, malicious software, and hidden access to critical systems. This is the new battlefield.

Cyberwarfare is already being used for espionage, disruption, influence, theft and strategic positioning. Governments, businesses and citizens are all exposed because modern societies now depend heavily on interconnected digital systems.

Cyberwarfare generally involves digital attacks by states or state-linked actors seeking political, military or strategic advantage. Unlike ordinary cybercrimes, which are often driven mainly by financial gain, cyberwarfare may aim to weaken an opponent, steal intelligence, disrupt essential services or establish access that can be activated during a future crisis.

The lines, however, are becoming increasingly blurred. Criminal groups, politically motivated hackers and state-sponsored actors may use the same tools, target the same systems or operate in ways that make attribution difficult.

Critical infrastructure is especially vulnerable. Electricity, water, healthcare, banking, aviation, ports, telecommunications and government services all rely on digital networks. A successful attack against one of these sectors can create physical, economic and social consequences far beyond the computer system initially compromised.

Jamaica depends on digital systems for banking, immigration, trade, tourism, telecommunications, healthcare, public administration and national security. Its ports and airports connect it to international supply chains, while government and private-sector databases hold valuable personal, commercial and national information.

Public reports indicate that systems faced tens of millions of attempted cyberattacks during the first half of 2025. This does not mean that every attempt succeeded or represented cyberwarfare. It does, however, demonstrate the scale of hostile digital activity confronting local networks.

Many attacks begin with a malicious email, reused password, compromised supplier account or former employee whose access was never removed. Artificial intelligence is making these threats more convincing through realistic phishing messages, cloned voices, false identities and deepfake video calls.

Cybersecurity has become a matter of leadership, training, governance and national security. No country or organisation can guarantee that every attack will be prevented. The stronger objective is resilience: the ability to detect intrusions, contain damage, continue essential operations and recover quickly.

That requires secure backups, multi-factor authentication, updated systems, trained employees, tested response plans, and stronger coordination among government, businesses and critical-infrastructure operators.

The question is whether Jamaica is preparing fast enough for a conflict that has already begun.

RENNE WATKIS