Building Cyber Resilience Before the Headlines Do

In July 2025, a prominent Credit Union in Trinidad & Tobago fell victim to a ransomware attack that exposed the personal identification data of its members. Although core banking infrastructure remained intact, the attackers exfiltrated scanned ID cards, utility bills, and other sensitive customer documents. Less than a month later, samples of those documents surfaced on dark web forums, a stark reminder of how quickly criminals turn stolen data into leverage.

For many executives, the temptation is to view ransomware as a technical failure, such as a missed firewall or an unapplied patch. But the reality is broader: attacks like this are business events with financial, reputational, and governance implications. And as decision-makers, the question isn’t simply “how do we stop ransomware?” but “how do we protect customer trust, maintain continuity, and lead with resilience in a region that is increasingly under attack?”

The Real Story Isn’t the What, It’s the How

Groups like those reportedly behind the attack rarely storm the gates. Instead, they exploit weak points organisations often overlook:

• Unpatched systems and remote access points like VPNs, firewalls, or RDP.

• Stolen Credentials are purchased on the dark web, sometimes months after an unrelated compromise.

• Lateral movement inside networks, using legitimate tools until they find high-value data such as customer records.

In this case, while core banking functions were unaffected, member identification records became collateral damage. And once those documents were posted online, the damage extended beyond technology into the realm of trust, compliance, and reputation.

Three Strategic Lessons for Caribbean Executives

1. Customer Documents Are as Critical as Core Systems

KYC documents may not seem as mission-critical as transaction systems, but once leaked, they directly affect customer confidence. Encryption, segregation, and restricted access for sensitive repositories should be treated as board-level priorities, not just IT housekeeping.

2. Visibility Extends Beyond Your Firewall

Attackers already know what is being traded about your organisation. If executives cannot see the same, they are leading blind. Dark web monitoring transforms unseen threats into actionable intelligence, enabling faster decisions, more informed budgeting, and more credible risk governance.

3. Disclosure is Part of Defence

Considering the impacts of regulatory fines associated with many Global and Regional Data Protection Laws, silence is no longer a viable strategy; moreover, it erodes consumer confidence. Executives should demand clear disclosure playbooks that strike a balance between regulatory obligations and transparent communication with customers and partners.

From Prevention to Preparedness

Executives often ask, “What would have made the difference?” In truth, there is rarely a single point of failure or a single solution. What separates the organisations that recover quickly from those that crumble is layered preparedness: a balanced blend of technology, people, and governance.

True resilience begins with visibility. Understanding your exposure both inside your environment and across the dark web. This provides the intelligence needed to act before criminals do. Complementing that visibility are practices that reinforce everyday defence: enforcing multi-factor authentication, closing unpatched vulnerabilities, restricting privileged access, and deploying endpoint protection that can stop lateral movement before it reaches sensitive systems.

Equally important is culture. More than 70% of breaches globally involve the human element, so building cyber awareness across teams is not optional; it’s foundational. Regular training, clear reporting channels, and well-rehearsed response playbooks can turn employees from potential vulnerabilities into your first line of defence.

Finally, governance ties everything together. Leadership must treat cybersecurity as a persistent business risk, rather than a periodic audit. Ongoing testing, including internal and external penetration assessments, provides an honest assessment of readiness and helps boards allocate resources based on facts rather than assumptions. These aren’t IT tasks; they are leadership imperatives that protect financial stability, operational continuity, and customer trust.

As executives, we must understand the risk:

Every breach begins with a lesson. Some are about oversight, others about timing. However, they all remind us that silence and complacency carry the highest cost. In our region, where reputation and relationships define business success, the measure of leadership will be how proactively we protect the trust we’ve earned.

Cyber resilience is not about perfection; it’s built on visibility, early action, and a commitment to keep asking the hard questions before others do. Would you rather discover your organisation’s exposures yourself, or wait until your customers, regulators, or the evening news do?

The first step is clarity. See what attackers already know and are already saying about your organisation. Digicel Business and Symptai are inviting you to request your complimentary dark web scan and start strengthening your organisation’s defences with confidence and foresight.

Request Your Complimentary Dark Web Scan