Cyber security centre will tackle 'daily threats'

A new security centre has launched in Guernsey to provide free advice and support to islanders and businesses around cyber threats. The Guernsey Cyber Security Centre will be operated in conjunction with the Jersey Cyber Security Centre and under the oversight of the Committee for Home Affairs. Director of both Matt Palmer said it was important the centre was established in Guernsey, as the island was "not off the radar" when it comes to cyber threats, which occur "almost every day". Guernsey's Financial Services Commission welcomed the agencies introduction and a private health practice said it placed the island in a better position when it came to cyber safety. Matt Palmer said the bailiwick was subject to cyber attacks almost every day. Palmer said the centre was essential in defending the bailiwick from increasing threats in the current geopolitical environment. "The things that protected islands in the past do not protect us from digital attacks," he said. "Anything that's targeted at the UK, at Western Europe, at the US is going to affect us and unfortunately we see these cyber attacks almost every day... it is happening and you know businesses and individuals are feeling this." Palmer said the focus of the centre would be protecting critical infrastructure services. He said increasingly, the Jersey centre dealt with issues that affected ordinary islanders - such as online scams and breaches to phone and computer security - and the new Guernsey centre would aim to do the same. "[It] can have a huge impact on people's day-to-day lives, on their emotional well-being, on their finances, on their families," he said. "What we can deal with is we can provide the advice and assistance and support to help you recover from that, to help you avoid it, to help you spot it next time." 'Good to know they're there' Palmer said the presence of the centre would also build confidence in Guernsey's largest sector - finance. "It shows that an island, whose economy for a while has really been based very strongly on trust, is still able to be trusted in a digital age," he said. A spokesperson for the Guernsey Financial Services Commission said: "Given the continuing fast evolution of AI capabilities, which can be used by both good and bad actors, the commission welcomes the efforts of the States to further enhance Guernsey's capabilities in this area." Andrew Carey, whose practice uses an online booking system and stores patient data, said the new centre provided piece of mind. Andrew Carey, practice manager for private medical group Island Health, said: "It feel like Guernsey's in a slightly better place now than it was before the security centre came into being. "I think it might be one of those things that you hope won't be of use to us - but it's good to know they're there if you need them." He said while his practice was happy with its online GP booking system the new agency provided piece of mind. "I don't want that to sound complacent... we take [cyber safety] seriously...with the arrival of the Guernsey Security Centre it's an additional external entity that potentially could be even more helpful."