Cybersecurity in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

The Caribbean is rapidly digitalizing, with mobile networks now underpinning essential services in government, finance, health, transport, and tourism. This shift has also sharply increased cyber risk exposure—amplified for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by small markets, limited resources, fragmentation, and disaster vulnerability. Notable incidents include the Caribbean’s largest recorded data breach (2022), which exposed over 700,000 records.

This GSMA white paper examines cybersecurity in Caribbean SIDS through an operator-centric
and evidence-based lens. Drawing on Caribbean-specific evidence, regional policy frameworks, and global best practice, the paper highlights why conventional cybersecurity models designed for large economies are insufficient for SIDS contexts.

Learn more about GSMA’s efforts in cybersecurity here.