UCC Information Technology Club

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Police_investigate_ransomware_attack_at_Jamaica_National

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica National Group says the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency and other security agencies are now investigating a ransomware attack on the organisation which occurred last Saturday, March 14.

The JN group said its Information Technology and Cybersecurity teams immediately acted to contain the effects of the malware and sought to identify the source of the attack.

“This incident has caused some disruption to our services since March 14. However, no customer account was affected, as accounts are kept and protected by a separate system. Notwithstanding, we apologise to all our members and customers, especially as this incident occurred during such a difficult period in our country,” the group said in a yesterday news release.

“Although our services are now substantially back online, we have identified that data relating to some members and customers were taken during the data security incident. While we have no reason to believe that this information has been used in any fraudulent activity, we are taking the precaution to inform members, customers and the public at large,” it continued.

The JN group said as required by law, it has taken the necessary steps to advise the regulatory agencies in all countries in which we operate.

“The data security and privacy of our members and customers are of paramount importance to us; therefore, we have already taken several measures to minimise the possibility of a reoccurrence. We are undertaking a complete review of our IT security to further strengthen our infrastructure.”

“As this incident involved criminal activity, it is the subject of a police investigation, therefore, we are unable to provide further information at this time. However, please be assured that we will be providing full support to members and customers who have been affected,” JN said.

Police investigate ransomware attack at Jamaica National KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica National Group says the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Major ...

https://jis.gov.jm/covid-19-an-opportunity-for-msmes-to-innovate/

Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Valerie Veira, says the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) provides an opportunity for micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) operators to find new ways to expand their services and meet the needs of their consumers/clients.

“It is now a time to do some serious reflection on how we do what we do and how to serve our clientele better. There has to be a way forward.

“We have to identify new services and products based on what we are experiencing at the moment, as new niches are coming, so we should look at identifying them, and looking at how we convert them into new businesses,” she added.

Ms Veira, who was speaking in an interview with JIS News, suggested that MSME operators should use this period to do research, which is crucial to product development.

Entrepreneurs are also encouraged to formalise their operations in order to be viable for opportunities and support.

“If the Government comes up with packages for support for MSMEs, we have to understand that it is important that you are formally recognised as a business. This is crucial for MSMEs as they reach out for assistance so it is also a time to reflect on that,” she added.

The JBDC is also urging MSMEs to make use of technology as they interface with clients/partners as well as embrace other distribution channels like e-commerce.

“We recently launched thingsjamaicanshopping.com and we intend to ramp up the marketing of that website to encourage consumers to shop online. If you are a local producer of authentic Jamaican products within our database, this is an excellent opportunity for you,” she said.

Ms. Veira told JIS News that the agency has been utilising the period of working from home to reflect on the agency’s programmes.

“Our officers have been charged to review the programmes that we have been offering; what new information we need to be sharing; new methodologies to institute, such as more webinars and more meetings being held via online platforms,” she noted. “As senior management, we have been considering how we can restructure, how we do things more efficiently, so we are using [this time] as a creative period to see how we can come up with these new approaches.

“We are looking to see if our information technology infrastructure is robust enough for us to provide this kind of new approach to service,” Ms. Veira added.

JBDC is the Government’s business development agency that assists in the sustainable creation and development of MSMEs in Jamaica.

Members of the public may contact the agency via email at [email protected] or sign up on its new client platform JBDC Client Platform.

COVID-19 An Opportunity For MSMEs To Innovate - Jamaica Information Service Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Valerie Veira, says the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) provides an opportunity for micro, ... Read More

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/transitioning-to-the-virtual-classroom_191854

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of most educational institutions across the globe. This drastic and unprecedented world event has accelerated the development of the virtual classroom in countries such as ours.

Virtual instruction is defined by Purdue University as a “course taught either solely online or when components of face-to-face instruction are taught online”. It is intended to be a digital replica of a traditional classroom. The medium is typically a video conferencing application which allows multiple users to be connected at the same time through the Internet.

It is true that online classrooms had been gaining popularity before COVID-19 and that with the rising tide of technology, it is certainly the next step. But it is expected that the virtual classroom in Jamaica will become the norm even after the pandemic has passed.

But the transition, due in part to the suddenness with which the new environment has been thrust on us, has not necessarily been smooth. The challenges are diverse and are not only experienced by students and parents, but by institutions and instructors as well.

One of the biggest obstacles to online learning is Internet access and availability of devices from which to view and participate in these classes. The schools themselves must also must have the technology and equipment available so that the teachers can deliver information virtually.

As for educators, particularly those less acquainted with techonology, the changeover to remote learning has been an education in itself. Driving student engagement and focused learning, therefore, will not be a walk in the park, and ensuring equanimity among students will be an area of concern.

That being said, the future is here, so we'd better get with it by learning how to use the technologies so that our teaching and learning can be optimised.

• Familiarise yourself with the specific platform your institution has decided to use. If there are options, even better. Do trial runs and decide which is best for you.

• Find your 'chat' feature inside your learning platform. It helps to keep students engaged, clarifies spelling etc. Your students can also use this feature to ask questions and seek clarification.

• You may want to use the 'record' feature as well, which will allow students to access the class at another time if they were unable to attend at the specified time. It would also be useful for review.

• At the beginning of a class, be sure to inform students of the virtual tools, such as the hand raise option, that you would like them to use.

• Greet each participant by name as they enter your online classroom. This adds a personal touch to the space and helps individuals feel connected to you. If there are latecomers, a quick hello through the chat feature can be used.

• Keep your voice conversational and engaging. Imagine that you are speaking to someone personally. This will help you to keep your voice relaxed and natural.

• Do not forget the use of facial expressions and hand gestures, which are important features of good communication. Your we**am is vital! Try to look into your camera, rather than the screen, when you speak. This helps with eye contact.

• Think about what students see behind you. The view behind you should be uncluttered, with no distractions.

• Share your screen or use a virtual whiteboard when instruction includes calculations, formulae, concept mapping, flow charts, maps or images.

• Create interactive learning activities that encourage active participation from your students.

• Use visuals to add interest and to offer variation for different learning styles.

As the virtual classroom continues to expand, we have no choice but to embrace this paradigm shift. It takes time and the courage to just do it. Once you have actually done it, you will find that the task is not as scary as you may have thought.

I expect to see innovation and creativity grow as learners and instructors become increasingly comfortable with the virtual classroom.

Transitioning to the virtual classroom The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of most educational instit...

https://jis.gov.jm/technology-platform-of-jcf-expanded/

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) technology platform has been expanded to accommodate a greater number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, which will enable officers to monitor more public spaces.

This follows the buildout of the Police Emergency Control Centre (PECC) backroom capacity to monitor up to 2,000 CCTV cameras, National Security Minister, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, has said.

“We have just completed the setting up of the backroom, which [comprises] the analytics and storage [components] required to ensure that we can take in the additional cameras,” the Minister informed.

He was speaking with journalists following Wednesday’s (March 18) tour of the PECC, the JCF’s primary surveillance unit, which is based at the Police Commissioner’s Office in Kingston.

The Minister was accompanied by newly appointed Minister without Portfolio in the National Security Ministry, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, and other officials.

Dr. Chang, who noted that upgraded operations at the PECC form part of the ‘JamaicaEye’ surveillance initiative, said some 560 CCTV cameras have been installed in the island’s main urban centres.

These include Kingston, St. Catherine, May Pen, Mandeville, Negril, Ocho Rios, and Montego Bay.

The Minister said additional cameras are slated to be installed in Savanna-la-Mar, Lucea and Falmouth during the 2020/21 fiscal year, and Port Maria, Port Antonio, and St. Thomas in 2021/22.

Dr. Chang indicated that Government expenditure on technology during 2019/20 totalled $1.2 billion, adding that “this year [2020/21], we are looking at another $1 billion.”

He further advised that come month end, the Ministry will be seeking to lobby stakeholder support to increase the number of CCTV cameras in operation.

“There are quite a few individuals [and organisations that] we are keen on getting in on the network… and we will [be looking to] work with them. It was not practical to do [so] before completing the setting up of the PECC’s backroom technology capacity,” he added.

Dr. Chang emphasised the importance of equipping the police with tools such as technology that will enhance their operational efficiency.

“The Police 119 Emergency Control Centre was essentially a telephone call-in centre. We have moved [to improve on that]. So, while you still have the call-in feature… you now have a monitoring centre, with surveillance activity of both traffic and personnel,” he outlined.

Dr. Chang emphasised that the work at the facility is “not complete”, adding that what was seen on Wednesday “is just the beginning of what we are going to do and an indication of where we want to take the police force”.

Technology Platform Of JCF Expanded - Jamaica Information Service The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) technology platform has been expanded to accommodate a greater number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, which will enable officers to ... Read More

https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/12/tech-for-good-during-covid-19-pivots-and-partnerships-to-help-people-deal/

Some of us have learned how to be uniquely scrappy during this pandemic. I’m talking socks as masks and chickpea water as a vegetarian egg-white replacement type of scrappy.

And you will learn in this week’s installment of Tech For Good startups are no exception. Companies around the world are pivoting and partnering their way into helping us navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a list of some recent partnerships that caught our eyes, as well as other goodness from private companies.



From greeting cards to virtual therapy
Ali O’Grady founded greeting-card startup Thoughtful Human in 2017. The greeting cards tackle difficult topics, such as cancer, grief and, more recently, quarantine and the pandemic. Thoughtful Human has partnered with BetterHelp Therapy to offer a month of free virtual therapy through phone or text.

Zira wants to help you bounce back if you were laid off
Zira is an automated workforce solution to help with shift schedules and team communication. Now, it launched a free tool called Bounce Back to help those laid off due to COVID-19. The application chiefly teaches users how to navigate unemployment, curated by location. It also creates a community for users to stay in touch with former employers, and has a job marketplace.

Yext goes up State
Yext, a site search tool, has partnered with the US Department of State to create a COVID-19 informational hub to disseminate information about travel alerts. In the last month, Yext has developed sites for the State of New Jersey and the State of Alabama.

An alternative to a good ol’ restaurant menu
My Menu, which traditionally offered a digital tablet menu platform to restaurants, is now giving away its underlying technology to help restaurants become online-friendly overnight. Using My Menu technology, restaurants can create a menu that pops up when customers scan a QR code on their phones. It will help restaurants make their menus more accessible.

Creativity using the cloud
DigitalOcean, a cloud provider, created a hub for developers to share projects aimed at helping people deal with the pandemic. Projects that have sprouted up as a result include an app that lets people anonymously report their health conditions to pulsecheck the spread across the world, and a remote learning group of Kenyan primary school teachers.

Founder therapy for free
Betaworks is launching a free, 6-week, peer-to-peer mentorship program to connect founders and company leaders in mentor-led support groups. The application deadline is April 13, and participants will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis.


Janelle M. Jimenez, the founder and CEO of sustainable clothing startup Stellari, is using her startup capital to work with Los Angeles manufacturers to create masks. She has invested $15,000 of seed money into partnerships with factories, and needs $10,000 to produce cloth masks at scale. She plans to donate the masks at cost and support the local garment industry at the same time. The effort has raised nearly $24,000 on Indiegogo.

Coders unite to make websites COVID-19 friendly
Coding Dojo has launched an initiative to connect its alumni group of coders to small businesses that need website development. Coders will take on projects, for no charge, like creating a website for that corner bodega or adding a delivery feature to existing websites.

As the marathon gets canceled, Boston’s new stride
Tom O’Keefe is the founder of StrideForStride, which buys race bibs for low-income runners from around the world, ranging from Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Jamaica, and the US. Due to COVID-19, they lost a fundraiser at hotels and donations from restaurants and Sam Adams. Stride plans to host running clubs around various businesses and bars in Boston once everything re-opens, and in the meantime has launched a website DownloadBoston.com to highlight local businesses.

Tech for good during COVID-19: Pivots and partnerships to help people deal – TechCrunch Some of us have learned how to be uniquely scrappy during this pandemic. I’m talking socks as masks and chickpea water as a vegetarian egg-white replacement type of scrappy. And you will learn in this week’s installment of Tech For Good startups are no exception. Companies around the world are p...

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/jamaican-invention-a-covid-19-fighter-utech-student-on-cloud-nine-as-creation-touted-as-possible-weapon-against-deadly-virus_190952?profile=1373

Jamaican invention a COVID-19 fighter UNIVERSITY of Technology (UTech), Jamaica student Rayvon Stewart is on top of the world t...

https://www.studyinternational.com/news/student-inventions-fight-covid19/

Ingenious student inventions in Jamaica and Morocco to fight COVID-19 From drones to ultraviolet light technology, these student inventions are now relevant and crucial in the fight against COVID-19.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20191215/health-tech-emergency-room-management

The thought of having to go to a hospital, let alone a public one, would have many people opting to stay home as long as possible until their ailment turns into an emergency. In some ways, we face this reality here. There is a plethora of complaints – the waiting time is too long, customer service is not up to par, doctors are not available, dockets cannot be found, difficulty in finding beds or the tier system for triaging may not be efficient or effective enough.

The health technology industry has taken these issues and tailored solutions towards improving or completely removing the need for them. They have shown that customer complaints are not necessarily bad for business; they enable solutions that result in improvements in business processes that benefit clients and owners even beyond their initial expectation. In this way, health technology has improved the management of the entire health ecosystem and has been particularly useful to hospitals aiming to improve efficiency of service, ease of diagnosis and seamless amalgamation of their various functions.

Emergency room care has been a focus of this process. These departments are generally fast moving and can be quite stressful for all involved. Digitisation can bring relief, in many ways, to how they function. The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) has already implemented its emergency room module of the Health Information Management System (HIMS) and is already seeing benefits in a number of areas.

IMPROVED SPEED IN REGISTRATION & ASSESSMENT
The registration component of the software allows triaging officers to input registration information or quickly find a patient in the system if they were previously registered. Once a patient is registered he/she would get a number that is unique to them and used for every future encounter. The patient’s history is readily available and a doctor, if needed, can be quickly identified and assigned. If the patient’s status is not emergency, then an appointment can be made for another time for one of the clinics.

BED MANAGEMENT
We know that every hospital has a finite number of beds, and with the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases and traffic accidents, we tend to find that hospital bed occupancy rates remain high throughout the year. Notwithstanding, the demand for beds has always been a sticking point. While the technology cannot produce beds, it gives a real-time photographic layout of available beds for the doctor to easily access and assign.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
In a fast-paced environment like an ER, electronic health records (EHR) allow for quick and easy access to a patient’s complete history. The good thing about this is that there is the possibility of linkages within public and private healthcare institutions, so the patients’ documents would be holistic and complete with every healthcare encounter they have ever had. This has not happened yet, but can easily be done with the requisite permissions.

DRUG ORDER STRAIGHT TO PHARMACY
The HIMS has the ability to order drugs and check the drug inventory while sending the prescriptions to the pharmacy, all in real time. Inpatients’ pharmaceutical requirements can be satisfied before they are taken to a ward from the ER. This also helps with putting together the inputs for preparation for surgery if required.

VIRTUAL ASSESSMENT THROUGH TELEMEDICINE
Though not yet available at the UHWI, telemedicine can facilitate virtual assessment to hasten triaging and deal with non-emergency cases. This will significantly alleviate the stress on the staff on the ground and improve patient satisfaction and flow. The good thing is that access to the EHR is available and these encounters can also be added to the patient’s history.

PATIENT TAGGING WITH BARCODE SCANNING CAPABILITY
I don’t believe we have yet started using bar-coded wristbands, that when scanned, provide information from the patient’s EHR and any specific notes from the doctor. Some hospitals in the United States widely use this for patients who are to undergo surgery. This is useful all around, but particularly to keep track of unidentified patients taken to the ER.

Health technology has improved many hospital functions, and patient and worker satisfaction will continue to get better. Several efficiencies will be achieved and medical errors will be significantly reduced, especially in a fast-moving ER setting.

Health + Tech | Emergency room management The thought of having to go to a hospital, let alone a public one, would have many people opting to stay home as long as possible until their ailment turns into an emergency. In some ways, we face this reality here. There is a plethora of...

https://www.stabroeknews.com/2019/12/16/news/regional/jamaica/facial-recognition-tech-coming-to-jamaicas-airports-tourism-minister/

(Jamaica Gleaner) The addition of 15 automated immigration kiosks at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James will take Jamaica closer to becoming a smart destination, says Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

The addition of the kiosks in time for the start of the winter tourist season will facilitate a more seamless experience for the volumes of visitors arriving, Bartlett said as he commissioned the new kiosks into operation on Saturday.

Jamaica is expected to welcome some 2.68 million stopover arrivals by year end. This is an eight per cent increase over last year.

Smart tourism refers to the application of information and communication technology, such similar to the smart cities, for developing innovative tools and approaches to improve tourism

Facial recognition tech coming to Jamaica’s airports - tourism minister - Stabroek News (Jamaica Gleaner) The addition of 15 automated immigration kiosks at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James will take Jamaica

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the Ministry is currently executing several initiatives, aimed at streamlining the Government’s information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure.

Addressing a welcome reception for the Tech Beach Retreat at Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort, in St. James, on December 5, Mrs. Williams said the Government is committed to move Jamaica on the digitisation path, and has been accelerating efforts to include the passing of the Personal Data Protection Bill.

“This will lead to greater efficiencies, cost savings and ease of doing business from internet speed and accessibility to a one government communication network,” said the Minister.

“In Parliament, I am leading the effort to pass our Personal Data Protection Bill into law. As you are well aware, that is going to usher in a new regime for our citizens. We have to do this because we are a member of the global world,” she added.

Mrs. Williams said a campaign will have to be done to educate citizens on their new rights and how they think about their personal data.

The Minister highlighted the progress made at the recent Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean, which sought to identify and evaluate how to enhance protection of Jamaica’s cybersecurity infrastructure from potential cyber threats and cyber attacks.

“As a Ministry, we are working to create the change that is needed in Government and we are encouraging businesses to do likewise through our agency called eGOV Jamaica Limited, which is soon to become the Government’s ICT authority,” Mrs. Williams said.

“We (Government) embrace digital technology with all that it is capable of allowing us to do today and I would implore all our companies to do likewise, in order to remain relevant and competitive.

We want Jamaica to be one of the global hotspots for technology,” she added.

The fourth staging of the Tech Beach Retreat will be held from December 5-7. The event will feature local and international speakers who will drive panel discussions and workshops, aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, investments, partnerships and innovation in the global ICT markets and industries.

Co-Founder of Tech Beach Retreat, Kirk Hamilton, noted that the event is designed to drive a greater level of collaboration by having “like mind beings connect and meet in one place.”

Technology Ministry Pushing Initiatives To Streamline ICT Infrastructure - Jamaica Information Service Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the Ministry is currently executing several initiatives, aimed at streamlining the Government’s information and communications ... Read More

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/jdf-using-more-technology-to-fight-crime_183178

THE Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is making a deliberate investment in technology to aid in the fight against crime across the island.

Brigadier Radgh Mason, brigade commander for the JDF told the Jamaica Observer that technology drives the efficacy of all operations and as a result, the hierarchy of the JDF, with support from the Ministry of National Security, has made significant investments in technology to advance the fight against crime.

“So far the JDF would have invested in the maritime patrol aircraft to cover the approaches to the shores. We are investing in radar technology. We are investing in unmanned aerial vehicles, drones. We are investing in the Jamaica Eye programme to cause us to be able to see real time what is happening and therefore being in a better position to assist our soldiers on the ground as well as the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) to respond,” Brigadier Mason said.

In further illustrating the investment in technology, Brigadier Mason took the Sunday Observer for a brief view of a watchfloor/situation room operated by the JDF.

Though not much was seen, it was clear that the issue of crime fighting is being taken seriously and with further technological advancements the day-to-day movements of Jamaicans will be closely monitored.

“What we are aiming at is that all the areas, town centres – the JDF will have real time monitoring of what is going on. In terms of the medium to long-term goals, we have to use the technology, work closer with our agencies, share data and information and of course outside of the JDFs purview there is work being done on the police side and of course the other areas of the justice system,” said Brigadier Mason.

“Infrastructure for the communities, building the families and changing that culture of violence is what needs to take place in the medium to longer term. This is how we see the fight and right now we need more public trust and confidence to provide the information for greater efficacy of our operations,” he added.

JDF using more technology to fight crime THE Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) is making a deliberate investment in technology to aid in...