Caribbean Public Safety Forum 2021

1 September 2021 / Virtual meeting

The Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC), the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), the Organization of American States’ Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism (OAS-CICTE), and the Latin American and Caribbean Association of ccTLDs (LACTLD) are pleased to host the 2021 edition of the Caribbean Public Safety Forum, which will take place online. The theme for this event is “Enhancing Cybersecurity Cooperation in the Caribbean to Bolster Trust and Confidence in the Internet”.

The Forum will feature a keynote address and three interactive panel discussions all focused on regional cybersecurity imperatives and their impact on safety and security of digital Caribbean citizens. Subsequently, there will be a two-hour hands-on workshop on digital forensics in which all attendees may participate. Topics for the first segment will include operationalising national cybersecurity strategies and active cyber defence; legal frameworks for combating cybercrime and the implications of acceding to the Budapest Convention; and deconstructing technical security issues for non-technical people.

The Forum will provide a holistic view of numerous pressing concerns under the rubric of cybersecurity, and highlight the importance of cooperation to achieve prevention and mitigation goals for cyber attacks, and for streamlining investigations and prosecutions of cybercrimes. It is expected that attendees will walk away with an unequivocal high-level understanding of cybersecurity issues and the attendant roles and responsibilities of actors operating in that space. It should be noted that the Forum will also serve as a springboard for more collaborative activities anticipated to be carried out over the next four years.

In establishing a trust community among Caribbean public safety actors, this Forum will NOT be recorded and/or broadcast in any way. The Forum will be conducted under Chatham House Rule. Attendees will, however, have exclusive access to contact information for all presenters and peers. To encourage wider Caribbean participation, interpretation services into Spanish and English will be available. 

Benefits of attending

  • Identify issue areas and key actors, and better understand the role of the latter in cybersecurity activities
  • Establish networks with focal points among international Internet organisations and other regional public safety actors
  • Enhance understanding of intersectional cybersecurity issues including, inter alia, the role of technical organisations in supporting cybercrime investigations and producing electronic evidence  

Topics to be covered

  • Mapping of cybersecurity issues and the evolving landscape of cyberthreats and cybercrimes
  • Legal frameworks: cybercrime laws, case law, and the pros and cons of acceding to the Budapest Convention
  • Work conducted by technical organisations such as the Regional Internet Registries and ICANN to support cybersecurity matters
  • A primer on digital forensics

Target audience

  • Legal officers/technical officers from ICT and National Security Ministries
  • Law enforcement officials including police officers and public prosecutors
  • Staff involved in national CSIRT operations
  • Judges and other judicial staff