The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Trinidad and Tobago Cyber Security Incident Response Team (TT-CSIRT) of the Ministry of Homeland Security recently met to advance joint cyber security initiatives, capacity building and incident response coordination.

The bilateral engagement, which took place on 17 July 2026, at CARICOM IMPACS’ headquarters in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, focused on aligning national and regional cyber defence strategies to combat evolving threat trends across TT and the wider Caribbean. Discussions focused on operational capabilities, legislative milestones and collaborative projects designed to protect critical infrastructure, financial networks as well as youth in digital spaces.

During the meeting, representatives from CARICOM IMPACS’ Cyber Fusion Unit (CFU) presented an overview of its operational mandate, regional cyber threat assessments and progress under the updated CARICOM Cyber Security and Cybercrime Action Plan (CCSCAP). The CFU emphasised that cross-border information sharing and multi-agency coordination remain vital to defending and protecting national and regional digital infrastructure.

Members of the TT-CSIRT outlined its core functions within the country’s national cyber security framework, detailing its threat management protocols and ongoing initiatives with the Organization of American States (OAS). These included student-focused training programmes and a National Cyber Drill Week scheduled for August 2026.

Additionally, the TT-CSIRT outlined three major strategic milestones to strengthen national cyber resilience, which included joining the Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre (LAC4), the development of new incident response frameworks and the enhancement of the National Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) for threat intelligence sharing.

Demonstrating a shared commitment to building digital literacy from an early age, both CARICOM IMPACS and the TT-CSIRT agreed to launch a joint cyber security awareness initiative for local schools in TT. The programme is expected to start in South Trinidad before expanding across the country and throughout the CARICOM Region.

Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing engagement, with plans to monitor post-signing initiatives with LAC4, participate in the ISAC rollout and continue building unified defence capabilities to secure both TT’s and the Caribbean’s digital ecosystem.