Caribbean Energy Sector Cybersecurity Forum May 10th 10am – 5:30pm, May 11th 10:00am – 5:30pm EST
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Cyberattacks pose an increasing threat to the Caribbean energy sector. May 10 and 11, 2022, join the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the Caribbean Energy Sector Cybersecurity Forum to convene energy sector stakeholders, cybersecurity experts, international aid organizations, and other practitioners to discuss, learn, and network. Hosting events for all levels of cyber awareness, this event is intended to enhance the Caribbean energy sector’s security and capacity to manage the growing risk of cyberattacks.

Brought to you by USAID’s Strengthening Utilities and Promoting Energy Reform (SUPER) program with additional support from the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), this two-day event will promote a better understanding of the rising threat of cyberattacks in the Caribbean and what steps the region can take to mitigate this threat.

Subject matter experts from organizations including Deloitte, NREL, the Organization of American States, the University of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator, and many more will discuss their experiences with myriad cybersecurity topics, with an emphasis on the Caribbean power sector

Who Will Present?


Leading Cybersecurity Advisors

Speakers and panelists represent a variety of cybersecurity organizations and companies both from the Caribbean region and North America more broadly.

Regional Energy Sector Leaders

The Forum will feature professionals from the Caribbean electricity sector to share their regional knowledge and experiences and to provide local context to leading practices.

International Aid Organizations

USAID and other multilateral development organizations will participate in the Forum to coordinate efforts and learn from each other to align resources that work towards shared goals.

Dr. Cletus Bertin

Executive Director, Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC)

Crissy Godfrey

Chief of Party, USAID SUPER Program, Deloitte

Osvaldo Larancuent

Cybersecurity Engineering Degree Program Coordinator, INTEC

Professor Yufei Wu

ICT Program Leader, the University of Trinidad and Tobago

Patrick Hosein

Professor of Computer Science, University of the West Indies

Andy Bochman

Senior Grid Strategist, Idaho National Laboratory

Anne Robbins

Manager, Deloitte Cyber and Strategic Risk

Dr. Rishabh Das

Specialist Senior, Deloitte Cyber and Strategic Risk

Miles Keogh

Executive Director, National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA)

Kerry-Ann Barrett

Cybersecurity Program Manager, Organization of American States

Angus Smith

Head of the Trinidad and Tobago Cyber Security Incident Response Team (TT-CSIRT)

Racquel Moses

CEO, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator

Lambrini Kolios

Country Manager for the Latin America and Caribbean region, U.S. Trade and Development Agency

Zoe Dormuth

Cybersecurity Research Engineer, NREL

Tami Reynolds

Project Manager and Lead, NREL's Secure Cyber-Energy Systems Group

Eardley Grant

Assistant Professor, The University of the Bahamas

Tsega Thompson

Director of IT Security & Compliance, Atlantis Resorts

Steve Granda

Cyber Security Research Engineer, NREL

Yanika Miller

Cyber Security Analyst, Symptai Consulting

Leon Brewster

Senior IT Administrator, The Barbados Light & Power Company

Dr. Moniphia Hewling

Founder and CEO, eMRock Digital Consultants

Laura Leddy

Cyber Security and Resilience Researcher, NREL

Agenda

10 May, 2022 10:00

Welcome and Introduction to the Forum

Erick Conde
USAID

Crissy Godfrey
Deloitte

10 May, 2022 10:15

Modernizing and Securing the Grid

This panel discussion will help kick off the forum by providing a deep dive into the changes underway in the electric grid, including the greater integration of renewables and distributed energy resources. Panelists will emphasize best practices for building cybersecurity into modern energy systems, including a discussion on vendor assessment and supply chain cybersecurity. There will also be a brief overview of how USAID, NREL, and Deloitte can assist regional power sector utilities in bolstering their cybersecurity postures.

Zoe Dormuth
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Steve Granda
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Laura Leddy
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Leon Brewster
The Barbados Light & Power Company

10 May, 2022 11:45

Awareness of ICS Cybersecurity in the Caribbean and the Anatomy of a Cyberattack

Protecting the Grid in the Caribbean requires an understanding the Caribbean Threat Landscape, including the nature and vector of attacks. This event will provide information on threat intelligence in the Caribbean, a real-world ransomware case study from SIFT/CCSC case files, and a discussion on the potential costs of cyberattacks.

Francois Griffith
SIFT Inc.

Roland Kissoon
Check Point Software Technologies

10 May, 2022 13:15

Understanding Cybersecurity Governance

Panelists will discuss policies and procedures for organizations to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber incidents, and how participants should employ governance as an organization-wide strategic issue.

Moniphia Hewling
eMRock Foundation

Tsega Thompson
Atlantis Resorts

Vernisha Ahyoung
Shell

Yanika Miller
Symptai Consulting

10 May, 2022 14:45

The Need and Opportunity for Higher Education in Cybersecurity

Interested in learning more about higher education opportunities in cybersecurity? Panelists from three universities in the Caribbean will each present on the programs at their respective institution, why a cyber education can be so valuable, and the impetus behind each university’s decision to offer a cybersecurity program.

Professor Yufei Wu
University of Trinidad and Tobago

Osvaldo Larancuent
Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo

Eardley Grant
University of the Bahamas

10 May, 2022 16:15

Fireside Chat with Miles Keogh

This casual yet informative chat with the NACAA Executive Director will bring his experience to bear on governance and risk management strategies in the energy and utility sectors, and how to apply these strategies to the Caribbean region.

Miles Keogh
National Association of Clean Air Agencies

11 May, 2022 10:00

Welcome and Introduction to the Second Day of the Forum

Ian Winborne
USAID

Dr. Cletus Berin
CARILEC

11 May, 2022 10:15

Cyber Impact of Modernization on Legacy Infrastructure and Demonstration of Live Cyber Scenarios

This talk introduces the audience to the emerging cyber challenges of Industry 4.0 Transformation.  The audience embarks on a journey to explore industry-leading topics like: Vulnerabilities and risks to critical infrastructure, segmentation and security in a highly interconnected operational technology (OT) infrastructure, and also learns about historical attacks on OT. Finally, the talk takes the audience through two live cyber attacks that showcase how security holes can result in the complete compromise of OT Infrastructure.

Dr. Rishabh (George) Das
Deloitte Cyber and Strategic Risk

11 May, 2022 11:45

Knowledge Sharing for Enhanced Security in the Caribbean

Knowledge-sharing is a crucial component for achieving development goals, and this is especially true in the Caribbean region. Join these panelists for a discussion of what the Caribbean nations and other small-island states can do to be proactive and address the rising threat of cyberattacks.

Kerry-Ann Barrett
Organization of American States

Angus Smith
Trinidad and Tobago CSIRT

Deon Olton
Caribbean Cyber Security Center

Anika Shuttleworth
eGov Jamaica

11 May, 2022 13:15

Enhancing Cybersecurity through Low-Cost and No-Cost Tools

During this session, Anne Robbins, Manager for Deloitte Cyber and Strategic Risk will, help attendees conceptualize how begin their cyber journey or enhance their current cybersecurity practices through a combination of low-cost and no-cost cybersecurity tools and governance recommendations. Professor Patrick Hosein will then discuss how low-cost and non-compressive protection can prove beneficial against cyber-attacks and illustrate an AI-based solution that is presently used to protect school sites. 

Patrick Hosein
University of Trinidad and Tobago

Anne Robbins
Deloitte Cyber and Strategic Risk

11 May, 2022 14:45

USTDA Project Preparation Tools for Cybersecurity in the Caribbean

The USTDA is one of the leading project preparation facilities operating in Latin America and the Caribbean, supporting more than 700 project activities across the region's economies. USTDA focuses its efforts on the economic sectors of strategic importance to U.S. industry and their regional partners, including energy, transportation, information and communications technology, and water. Join USTDA Country Manager Lambrini Kolios for an overview of how the USTDA works in the grid technology space.

Lambrini Kolios
United States Trade and Development Agency

11 May, 2022 15:45

The Importance of Cybersecurity for Modern Grid Resilience

Historically, grid resilience has referred to weather-related incidents that impact the ability of the grid to deliver reliable power. Increasing threats related to cyber concerns add a new dimension to this understanding of resilience. Join these panelists for a discussion about how decision-makers can factor cyber considerations into their resilience strategies.

Alexandra Forssell
Deloitte Cayman Islands

Racquel Moses
The Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator

Andy Bochman
Idaho National Laboratory

Xavier Gordon
Flash Motors, Xergy

11 May, 2022 17:00

Demonstration of the DERCF Tool for Utility Cybersecurity Assessments and Other USAID/NREL Technical Assistance Opportunities

To close out the Forum, Tami Reynolds from NREL will give an overview of the USAID-NREL partnership and the technical assistance they can provide. This assistance includes cybersecurity assessments of utilities and other resources through the Resilient Energy Platform, all with the goal of delivering reliable, clean, and affordable power. Crissy Godfrey, Chief of Party for the USAID SUPER program, will describe the technical assistance available to Caribbean entities interested in cybersecurity. This assistance includes training and capacity building; establishing cyber policies, procedures, and standards; developing leading practice material development; and providing other tools and resources that contribute to USAID's goal of a more cybersecure Caribbean.

Tami Reynolds
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Crissy Godfrey
Deloitte

Register

Why is Cybersecurity Important? Why Now?

Impacts of a successful cyberattack can be devastating for an electric utility. This can range from physical damage to infrastructure and blackouts to data loss or theft. Moreover, the consequences of ransomware are costly as utilities can be held financially beholden to bad actors. Now is the time to leverage resources, share knowledge, and coordinate strategies to take preventative measures against cyberattacks, ransomware, and other malware.

Benefits of Attending

  • Learn directly from those on the front lines about how cyberattacks can impact your organizations operations and how to respond to this rising threat
  • Understand some of the leading global practices for cyber threat identification, protection, detection, response, and mitigation
  • Hear how the rising threats from ransomware and other malware could impact the energy sector and the region
  • Expand your network by connecting with cyber and energy experts from across the region and internationally

Key Themes

Operational and workforce management aspects of the grid are changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the grid is also modernizing through new technologies such as advanced metering infrastructure and distributed generation. The Forum will focus on cybersecurity in the increasingly remote energy sector environment. This new dynamic leads to many cyber challenges the Caribbean energy sector must navigate.

If you have any questions, please reach out to abrillman@deloitte.com