Barbados Statistical Service Cyber Incident: Data Breach Update & Remedial Actions

The Barbados Statistical Service (BSS) has confirmed it was the victim of a cyber incident last month.

According to an official statement, the breach occurred on 30 October 2024, leading to unauthorised access to data by malicious actors. The Data Commissioner was notified promptly.

Within 24 hours of detecting the breach, an incident response team was mobilised by the relevant authority and worked closely with BSS IT staff to contain the incident and assess the extent of the data exposure.

“The incident has been contained, systems taken offline, and the investigations, so far, reveal that most of the information involved in this incident relates to survey data gathered primarily for statistical research purposes and then aggregated,” the BSS noted in its statement.

Efforts are now underway to restore data and services from secured backups, with a focus on ensuring the security of future operations.

The BSS emphasised its commitment to maintaining public confidence in its work.

“We will over the coming days and weeks ensure that our systems are appropriately hardened to reduce the probability of a recurrence and will be coming back to the public to advise on any relevant action that should be taken at the individual level to stay safe online following this event,” the statement added.

The investigation is still ongoing.