Malicious hackers have made an unsuccessful attempt to break into the Bermuda Police Service’s computer network.

According to Michael DeSilva, the Commissioner of Police, the system was “recently targeted in a ransomware attack” — referring to software that blocks access until a sum of money is paid.

“Although the attack was unsuccessful, it nevertheless caused disruption as the technology department worked to restore systems from clean backups,” Mr DeSilva told The Royal Gazette.

“The attack highlights emerging trends in organised crime where cyberattacks are indiscriminately made against commercial and government entities worldwide. The level of activity is high.”

In a single week, BPS scanners detected 54 threats, blocked 42 attachments, and snagged 2,565 pieces of spam.

“The effects of an attack can be difficult to overcome, and the BPS encourages everyone to protect themselves online and take precautions against this growing threat,” the commissioner added.

The revelation came as Grant Gibbons, the Minister of Economic Development, updated the House of Assembly on cybersecurity, and the Government’s efforts in tandem with the private sector to address the issue. Dr Gibbons said he had met with heads of organisations of critical importance to the island’s infrastructure to survey their security risks and levels of preparedness.

The Department of E-Commerce Advisory Board has a subcommittee on cybersecurity that has been “hard at work studying Bermuda’s cybersecurity landscape”, he said, while the Government maintains its own Cabinet Cybersecurity Committee.