Opposition Presses Government For Cybersecurity Act After NHF Hack Claim

The parliamentary opposition is calling for faster action on cybersecurity law following a reported cyber incident linked to the National Health Fund (NHF).

It was confirmed on Wednesday that hackers had contacted the agency, claiming they had medical records for some clients. NHF Chief Executive Officer Everton Anderson said officials have not yet established how far the breach extends, but he said the organisation remains in full command of its systems.

Christopher Brown, the Opposition Spokesperson on Science, Technology, Data and Digital Transformation, said the matter shows why the government should prepare and place a new Cybersecurity Act before Parliament within this calendar year.

"Government figures indicate cyber incidents and attempted attacks have risen from approximately $12 million in 2022 to $49 million in 2025, respecting a rapidly escalating threat environment targeting both public institutions or private financial institutions and citizens' personal data. Yet Jamaica still lacks a dedicated legislative framework requiring public bodies to meet baseline cybersecurity standards before any such incident occurs," he pointed out.

Mr. Brown said the administration has spoken about a timetable that could push cybersecurity legislation to 2027, but argued that recent developments show such a pace is too slow because the threats are already present.

Minister without portfolio with responsibility for Technology, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, told Parliament during his recent Sectoral Debate presentation that the government was working on new cybersecurity legislation.

The existing law was amended in February.