About Jamaica CIRT

About the JaCIRT

The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team is a Division under the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology established to deliver on the mandate outlined in the GOJ's National Cyber Security Strategy of 2015 to address matters regarding cyber threats and appropriate responses thereto. The JaCIRT supports the secure operations of Government of Jamaica (GOJ) Information Technology resources through the coordination of Incident Response for the Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) of the GOJ, and by providing other services and support to protect their IT assets from cyber attacks as well as mitigation and recovery of incidents at all MDAs.

JaCIRT's mission

To secure Jamaicans and Jamaica’s interests in cyberspace by ensuring increased cyber hygiene,

cybersecurity awareness and resilience through the advancement of cyber incident response

mechanisms, the development, promulgation and enforcement of standards, and the capability

based increase in cybersecurity capacity in ways that enhance economic security and improve

our quality of life.

JaCIRT's vision

JaCIRT will be the nation’s leader in cyber incident response and management while impacting

improved cyber hygiene, increased cybersecurity engagement and public education regionally,

and the influencing of international standards, conventions and norms. Our efforts stimulate

innovation, foster inclusive cyber security, and improve the quality of life.

JaCIRT's core competencies

• Incident management, response and continuity planning;

• Forensic analysis of digital artifacts and custody of evidence;

• Vulnerability assessments, penetration testing and security audits.

JaCIRT's core values

JaCIRT is an entity with strong values, reflected both in our history and our current

work. JaCIRT leadership and staff will uphold these values to ensure a high performing

environment that is safe and respectful of all.

• Perseverance: We take the long view, planning the future with scientific knowledge and imagination to ensure continued impact and relevance for our stakeholders.

• Integrity: We are ethical, honest, independent, and provide an objective perspective.

• Inclusivity: We work collaboratively to harness the diversity of people and ideas, both inside and outside of JaCIRT, to attain the best solutions to existing and emergent challenges.

• Excellence: We apply rigor and critical thinking to achieve world-class results and continuous improvement in everything we do.

JaCIRT’s Motto

Responding Today, Securing Our Future

JaCIRT's Logo

1. The colour scheme is that of the national colours of Jamaica. The choice of the predominant colours stand in synchronicity with their original meanings within our culture. Additionally, for the purposes of the Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team (JaCIRT) the BLACK depicts the challenging nature of the cybersecurity threat landscape, GREEN represents the rich potential for the development of the local cybersecurity talent pool and support for economic drivers , and GOLD is the steadfast service of the officers of the division that gives hope to all who must traverse this testing space.

2. The wording speaks to the fact that the Division is subordinate to the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology. And, as such, all actions taken by its officers are to be in concert with the values and direction thereof. It is further understood that such values and direction are commensurate with the strategic and operational goals of the administration in furtherance of the security and prosperity of the nation in its pursuit of self-determination as a sovereign state.

3. The Division’s Motto “Responding Today, Securing Our Future” underscores the resolute stance of the Division and its officers to respond to all cybersecurity incidents that are reported to it in the firm belief that by ensuring the optimal resolution of such incidents today, a solid foundation will be laid for the building of a resilient and adaptively responsive nation with respect to cybersecurity.

4. The use of electronic circuitry on the wings of the caricature and the ones and zeros in the ring symbolizes the recognition that the levels of convergence of technologies within our daily lives transcends just the bits and bytes of data. Instead, it represents that homogeneous use of technology ubiquitously in every sphere of life cutting across the physical and the virtual realms of human existence.

5. The circular design typifies the absence of an end or a beginning to the Division’s efforts in incident response and management, the building of capability driven capacity, and the participation in nations pursuit of national security and economic prosperity. The concentric nature of the circles and the absence of gaps show our appreciation of the different levels at which the division must interact with the nation’s constituent users of cyberspace with due regard for all.

6. This caricature, the Swallowtail Hummingbird (Doctor Bird), speaks to the small team of professionals whose agility, precision and responsiveness allows for the surgical application of limited resources to incidents large and small with Jamaica's National Security and the nation’s sovereign interests always at the heart of the Division’s efforts.