Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R9) has said he can investigate the way the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) has handled its public relations following a cyber attack on the company. Photo: Facebook

General Manager of BVIEC, Dr. Neil M. Smith, has said investigation was launched into the cyber-attack on the BVIEC which used ransomware demanding money for the release of the company’s systems. However, the company has remained silent since revealing this to the public in August 2024. Photo: Facebook

Ransomware attack in August

On August 19, 2024, BVIEC announced in a press release that the company had fallen victim to a cyber-attack that affected its internal and external operations.

During an interview with a local media house a few days later, General Manager of BVIEC, Dr Neil M. Smith said an investigation was launched into the attack which used ransomware demanding money for the release of the company’s systems. As such, the company resorted to shutting down its system.

Financial Controller at BVIEC, Mrs Carmen A. Sully revealed several of the electricity company’s systems have been affected such as the financial systems, including the billing system and customer service database, the automatic reading system, and the company’s ability to calculate and print bills and cheques.

Poor dissemination of information to public?

The BVIEC has remained tightlipped since then about the progress of the investigation or the extent of the breach as it relates to customer information.

Virgin Islands News Online has tried to get a comment from BVIEC’s General Manager but has not received one.

Premier to meet with Minister responsible & BVIEC reps

Asked during the press conference on Monday, September 16, 2024, whether BVIEC showed enough respect to its customers regarding the breach, Premier Wheatley said he was not fully apprised of the company’s response to the cyber-attack. He added; however, “I can promise you that’s something I can look into.”

Premier Wheatley also said he believes every agency should deliver the “best possible customer service” and cannot determine whether BVIEC displayed poor customer service based on the information presented to him at Monday’s press conference.

Premier Wheatley promised to speak with Hon Kye M. Rymer (R5), Minister for Communications and Works, whose ministry the BVIEC falls under.

“We could come to some conclusions about whether they didn’t handle it in a particular way and that would be a conversation between the Minister and the board as well as the Managing Director,” Dr Wheatley remarked.