The top 10 most widely ready articles published by ICT Pulse in 2012.

In the over 150 articles we have published on ICT Pulse for 2012, below are the 10 most widely read of the year:

10:  Expert insights 3: Cyber threats and security in the Caribbean

This was the final instalment of a three-part series we conducted on cyber threats and security in the region. In the each of the three posts we had one network/IT security professional from across the Caribbean share with us their thoughts on cyber intrusion and security in the region. All three articles were prepared interviews. Some common questions were posed to each of our experts, which allowed for easy comparison and for differing views to be highlighted.

In Expert insight 3, we had Aaron Manzano an IT/network security professional with over 30 years’ experience in the field. He is also the Director of HMP Consulting in Trinidad and Tobago.

9.  Fostering innovation through app development

This post sought to discuss growing trends in the region towards software application (app) development, particularly mobile apps. The article also highlighted the Caribbean Open Data Conference, which would have been held on 26—27 January 2012 in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

8.  What does the T&T Govt/Google debacle tell us about the openness of the Internet?

Twice per year, Google publishes its Transparency Reports, in which it summarises incidents when the free flow of information, through its tools and services, might have been challenged by the actions of others. The report is frequently of interest, as it tends to highlight countries that might have suppressive tendencies with regard to the Internet and freedom of speech and expression. It was thus a bit surprising when Trinidad and Tobago was included in the list of countries that had requested of Google that ten videos on YouTube be removed. This post discusses the Trinidad and Tobago incident and outlines some of the key findings of Google’s latest Transparency Report.

7.  From problems to apps: ideas for industry development

In anticipation of the Caribbean Open Data Conference, which was held in late January 2012, ICT Pulse reported on the ideation (brainstorming) session that was held to suggest urgent or specific needs, along the conference’s thematic areas, which the software coding competition could address. The article summarised the ideas generated for three of the five themes: agriculture; economics and trade statistics; and tourism.

6.  Can we achieve equality in ICTs for women and girls?

World Telecommunications and Information Society (WTIS) Day is celebrated on 17 May. The 2012 theme for WTIS was “Women and Girls in ICT”, which sought to recognise the importance of women to society and the imperative to ensure gender equality. The article highlighted key outputs from a panel discussion held on the WTIS theme at the University of the West Indies, in Jamaica, the most insightful of which was “transitioning from Cinderella to Cyberella”.

5.  Snapshot: Internet speeds and pricing update 2012

In May 2011, we launched the Snapshot series in which we would highlight and discuss how Caribbean countries have been performing across a number of telecoms/ICT indicators. In 2012, we continued and expanded the series, however, this post, Snapshot: Internet speeds and pricing update 2012, updated the previous year’s findings.

For many our snapshot articles, we draw data and statistics from reports prepared from recognised organisations. However, for our Internet speeds and pricing snapshot, our Internet affordability snapshot, as well as those on mobile/cellular pricing and affordability, we (at ICT Pulse) collect and process the data in order to produce those articles. Hence it is quite gratifying that this post was so widely received, and was the impetus for discussions in some countries about how they compare with others, and steps that could be taken to improve the Internet plans available.

4.  Nominations for Tech Movers & Shakers in the Caribbean

In this post, which was published in mid-November, we invited nominations for Tech Movers and Shakers from across the Caribbean. In 2013, we plan to launch a new series in which we profile innovative people operating in the ICT/tech industry in the region. Nominations are still open.

3.  Should I be concerned about Google’s new privacy policy

In January 2012, Google announced that, effective 1 March 2012, it would be amending it Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The main purpose of the amendment was to simplify those documents and to establish a common policy across most of Google’s products and services.

2.  Expert insights: Cyber threats and security in the Caribbean

We launched the Expert insight series to discuss the state and perceptions of cyber security in the Caribbean. The impetus for the series was a cyber attack on a telecom company’s (LIME) Internet infrastructure in Barbados.   We, at ICT Pulse, were thus of the view that if a company, such as LIME, which would have access to considerable resources and expertise, could still experience a debilitating intrusion, then

…we in the region might not fully understand the extent to which we are highly susceptible to a broad range of cyber threats and intrusions…

To kick off the series, we interviewed to Niel Harper. Niel is based in Barbados and has over 16 years’ experience in Telecommunications Engineering, Information Security Management, Business Continuity Management, Enterprise Risk Management, and ICT Regulation and Policy.

1.  Expert insights 2: Cyber threats and security in the Caribbean

Our second instalment of our Expert insight series was our most widely read post of 2012. For that article we interviewed Garfield Gordon, Territory Systems Engineer for Cisco Systems Inc, based in Jamaica. Garfield has over 20 years’ experience in the IT/ICT space, and his areas of expertise include: Systems Integration, Networking, Internet, Security, Wireless, Mobile, Application Development and Business Enablement.

At the time, Jamaica was beginning to be highlighted in the news for lottery and advance payment scams, along with ATM fraud. Hence some of those matters were mentioned the interview, and Garfield made some pointed recommendations of products and services (primarily Cisco-based) that might be effective in addressing cyber intrusions.

 

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