Illuminat Jamaica is a division of the Trinidad and Tobago-based Neal & Massy and one of the leading providers of information and communications technology throughout the Caribbean.

Its partner in the venture, Enterasys, provides computer protection for 54 of the 56 major banks operating worldwide, as well as several companies in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

At the recent launch of the protection system, called Dragon, Norbert Lamenca, Enterasys' channel manager for Central America and the Caribbean, stressed the importance of companies safeguarding their systems against employees.

"A recent study by the FBI showed that 85 per cent of all networks that have been hacked within the United States, the hackers came from inside the companies," said Lamenca, as he addressed the launch at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. "Imagine what it would be like if some unscrupulous individual within your company gained access to say ... your payroll records," he said.

Lamenca noted that Enterasys Network protects computer systems by scanning for vulnerability. Its user personalised network programme is able to streamline internal networks by recognising users and automatically providing access to specific functions for particular individuals within organisations, he said.

This programme is configured to instantly recognise users as soon as they log on, even if the user is operating remotely, and provides access only to those resources applicable to the particular user. The advantages, he says, is that not only does this function protect critical operations, but also frees up bandwidth space, optimising the capacity of networks and allowing more efficient use.

"Two out of every three companies in the US have lost money due to cyber attacks," said Lamenca. "One out of every 700 employees actively works against his organisation ... disgruntled workers are everywhere. There are persons out there who could be harmful to your organisation. You have to take the precaution."

The solutions have the capacity for providing IT-based back-up for information that might be considered critical to organisations. "Since September 11, it has been realised that it is very unwise to keep vital information in one single location," he noted.

According to Matthew Herron, communications manager of Illuminat Jamaica, the cost for the solutions depends on the function and size of the network.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Business/html/20021029T230000-0500_34388_OBS_LOCAL_FIRM_MOVES_AGAINST_COMPUTER_HACKERS.asp