Cabinet to Review National Cybersecurity Council Plan

Cabinet is set to receive a proposal for the creation of the National Cybersecurity Coordination and Assurance Council (NCCAC), an entity intended to organise and drive Jamaica’s national cyber-defence work.

Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Science, Technology and Special Projects, announced the plan on June 2 during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

“The Council is a 24-month mandate housed within the Office of the Prime Minister, reporting through me to the Prime Minister. It is not a new bureaucracy. It is the engine of coherence. Its specific mandate is to take every cybersecurity asset Jamaica already possesses, every standard, every plan, every unit, every dollar of investment and convert them into a coordinated, accountable, measurable national capability,” Dr. Wheatley said.

He said that, once activated, the NCCAC would have 90 days to create a national entry point for cyber-incident reports. That service would operate 24 hours a day and serve Jamaicans, businesses and government bodies through one contact channel.

Within six months of coming into operation, the proposed body is expected to finish a review of legislative gaps and prepare drafting instructions for a new National Cybersecurity Act.

Dr. Wheatley also said that, by the 12-month mark, the NCCAC would submit the complete legislative package for a permanent National Cybersecurity Directorate to Cabinet. It would also advise the Prime Minister on the process and timetable for preparing the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2026 to 2030.

Over the full two-year period, the council would coordinate activation work and the use of the US$10-million investment from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its duties would also include putting the critical information infrastructure protection framework into operation and ensuring that all government agencies satisfy the baseline rules under the Jamaica Cybersecurity Standards Framework.