No sensitive data accessed in Lands and Surveys cyberattacks
-Benn
No sensitive information was accessed during the cyberattacks that targetted the Guyana Lands and
Surveys Commission (GLSC), Commissioner Trevor Benn said on Monday, while noting that his account was under attack on a daily basis.
Benn made the disclosure during the commission’s yearend press conference, where he cited the situation as one of the challenges the GLSC had faced this year.
He explained that with the increased use of email and the heightened national and international profile of the commission, the agency has seen an increase in cyberattacks. Most of the attacks, he noted, were done via email phishing and spoofing.
Benn, however, said that the commission has been working closely with its email host and the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) to mitigate the issues that arose.
In addition, he said one incident is currently engaging the attention of the police force, while steps were taken to enhance and strengthen the agency’s data and security network.
According to Benn, the commission’s staff have attended several cybersecurity training and awareness sessions organised by the NDMA as well as cybersecurity service providers.
Earlier this year, the commission warned both applicants and state landowners to ignore emails seeking personal information or money and report any such suspicious activity.
“These phishing attacks are coming every day and using our handles as if it is coming from this office. It is a virus and they are also sending it to applicants in the form of emails,” Benn had told Stabroek News in April.
GLSC Public Relations Officer Royden James at the time had written a letter to the editor informing the public of the attack.
He advised that anyone in receipt of such correspondence to contact him by phone on 226-6490 ext. 1010 or by email at rjames@glsc.gov.gy to verify its legitimacy.
He further urged GLSC clients not to click on the links or attachments from senders that they do not recognise or which are suspicious in content, structure, or tone. In particular, he warned against compressed or executable file types, such as .rar, .exe and .zip.