Despite $24M+ Funding, TSTT Still Suffers Hacks & Outage
An exposé by the publication Trinidad Express has revealed that in official documents of the majority state-owned telecommunications provider, TSTT’s (the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago) Expenditure Committee, a total of $24 million was approved to fortify the organization against cybersecurity threats. The funding for enhancing cybersecurity was approved over 40 requests.
Yet TSTT got hacked last year and was also the target of a malware “incursion” when its systems detected a security attack directed at a number of the company’s internal-only solutions/applications.
Additionally, a memo on the Nelson Exchange shutdown—a major network failure—revealed that all maintenance expenditure requests related to the Nelson Exchange were promptly approved over the past three years. According to the memo, TSTT’s Maintenance Expenditure Committee approved $3.2 million for the Nelson Exchange from over 50 requests.
The document further noted that the Expenditure Committee was unaware of any unapproved expenditures and raised an alarm over possible alleged machinations by personnel who might be manipulating fabrications of unapproved spending to mask failures.
The documents contradict earlier claims made by the Communications Workers’ Union, which accused TSTT’s former Chief Financial Officer Shiva Ramnarine of neglecting crucial cybersecurity funding. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page
Yet TSTT got hacked last year and was also the target of a malware “incursion” when its systems detected a security attack directed at a number of the company’s internal-only solutions/applications.
Additionally, a memo on the Nelson Exchange shutdown—a major network failure—revealed that all maintenance expenditure requests related to the Nelson Exchange were promptly approved over the past three years. According to the memo, TSTT’s Maintenance Expenditure Committee approved $3.2 million for the Nelson Exchange from over 50 requests.
The document further noted that the Expenditure Committee was unaware of any unapproved expenditures and raised an alarm over possible alleged machinations by personnel who might be manipulating fabrications of unapproved spending to mask failures.
The documents contradict earlier claims made by the Communications Workers’ Union, which accused TSTT’s former Chief Financial Officer Shiva Ramnarine of neglecting crucial cybersecurity funding. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page