MONTEGO BAY, St James — Chief cybersecurity expert at the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), Dr Patrick Linton is warning that Jamaica should brace for an unavoidable surge in cyber attacks driven by artificial intelligence (AI), even as the country records significant gains in reducing both traditional and digital crime.

Speaking during a plenary session on security and public safety at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre last Tuesday, Linton said the evolution of technology and deeper Internet penetration have created fertile ground for increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

“As crime fell in the physical realm, as the commissioner’s representative said and the minister, it has also risen on your screens. We have been seeing a proliferation of cybercrimes and cyber incidents,” said Linton.