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By Robert Andre Emmanuel
The Caribbean is home to “breathtaking natural beauty and vibrant cultures” and the islands are the hubs for bustling tourism, trade, and marketing activities.
Yet, beneath the surface of tranquil beaches and bustling ports, a complex and shifting security environment challenges law enforcement daily.
As Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin shared this key message to a room full of top cybersecurity and law enforcement officials from across the region, he called for urgency in addressing one of the most pressing issues facing them today: the digital threat landscape.
We face unique threats—organised crime exploiting our maritime borders, drug and gun trafficking, cyberattacks targeting our government systems and financial institutions, human trafficking, gang violence, and even the looming spectre of terrorism… these threats do not respect borders, they are adaptive, transnational, and technologically sophisticated,” the Attorney General remarked at the opening of the 2025 ARIN-CAJS Caribbean Justice Forum on Cybersecurity.
Convening at the John E St Luce Financial Centre, the symposium, hosted in partnership with the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) and the Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions (CAJS), offers a platform that brings together law enforcement leaders, cybersecurity experts, and policymakers to share knowledge and best practices related to countering online threats amidst the evolving digital landscape.
The American Registry for Internet Numbers, the regional Internet registry agency for many Caribbean islands, manages the distribution of Internet number resources, including IPv4 and IPv6 address space and AS numbers.
The Caribbean Agency for Justice Solutions is a regional development agency established by the Caribbean Court of Justice to provide technological solutions to the Caribbean’s justice sector.
Acting Commissioner of Police Everton Jeffers told the gathering that the symposium came at a “critical moment where our collective vigilance, readiness, and collaboration has never been more essential.”
“Cybersecurity is no longer a peripheral concern; it is now central to national security and regional stability. By hosting this symposium, Antigua and Barbuda once again affirms its commitment to regional leadership on security matters,” Jeffers told conference attendees.
The symposium aims to enhance cross-border cooperation among Caribbean law enforcement agencies, examine emerging threats in the digital space, and build capacity in digital forensics and interagency coordination.
The event will also focus on ways to strengthen cyber resilience and operational readiness in Caribbean law enforcement, featuring sessions on law enforcement in the digital age, effective cyber strategies, partnerships and tools, and building adaptive cybersecurity capabilities.
Sir Steadroy, in his address, called for updated legislation to address cyber intrusions, data theft, and financial fraud across the region.
“Laws enabling digital proceeds of crime are powerful tools to disrupt organised network. We must therefore develop legislation to seize property in ways that erode and get rid of those criminal elements that operate within the Caribbean region,” Sir Steadroy noted, calling for “trained digital forensics labs to analyse evidence from mobile phones seized in gang raids and financial data from fraud investigations.”
Today, attendees will learn about practical tools for digital justice transformation, featuring live demonstrations of platforms supporting legislative drafting and legal research, highlighting artificial intelligence applications in legal services, and other tools to modernise access to justice.
AC Jeffers outlined expected benefits including enhanced investigative capacity, improved intelligence sharing, and proactive prevention capabilities.
“With better knowledge of cyber protocols, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda will be better equipped to prevent cyber intrusion in government systems, critical infrastructure, and private sector operation, minimising threats before they escalate,” the Acting Commissioner remarked. “As technology becomes more embedded in daily policing, from body-worn cameras to digital record management, our ability to protect those infrastructures will ensure uninterrupted service and greater community trust.”
Mark Thomas, CAJS Director of Law Enforcement and Public Safety Engagement, stressed the urgency of moving beyond strategy to implementation.
“We are among the smartest people on the planet, where we fall short, in my experience, is in the area of implementation,” Thomas told delegates.
Thomas said that Antigua and Barbuda can become a regional hub for coordinated cybersecurity responses, calling for “densified” cooperation among Caribbean partners to combat transnational cybercrime effectively.
“It’s one thing to talk about the problem, but I want you all to believe and to know that we have a critical mass of very skilled people in the Caribbean space, techies who know the Internet,” Thomas noted.
To further develop this technical expertise, ARIN will host a Road and Technical Forum following the event, where experts will share best practices for network security and cyber threat mitigation with regional network operators, cybersecurity practitioners, and students.
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