Senior Reporter
kay-marie.fletcher
@guardian.co.tt
Even as public pressure mounted for action against the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) executive in the wake of the breach that led to a data dump of customer files on the dark web, Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales yesterday said he did not have the power to remove anyone, including CEO Lisa Agard.
As the scope of the cyberattack, which saw 1.2 million customers’ data dumped on the dark web, continued to widen yesterday, Gonzales said it is also not his duty to force anyone to resign.
“That is not my call. That is not my responsibility. I expect the board to do what it has to do to ensure that it manages, in this very turbulent time in the organisation, and they do what they must to ensure that there is an independent investigation in the matter and that that investigation is not interfered with by any operatives inside of TSTT,” Gonzales said.
“I have given the board, through the chairman, firm instructions to ensure that whatever has to be done to ensure a firm, fair, thorough, independent investigation into this matter, in the public’s interest, that their responsibility is to ensure that happens ... I feel a sense of comfort that based on what was revealed to me, that the effort they are making to ensure that fair investigation goes on unimpeded.”
Gonzales said the independent investigation into the matter will include the communications which took place when he first inquired about the leak and was told there was none.
However, Communication Workers’ Union boss Clyde Elder has called for Agard and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Shiva Ramnarine to be fired before the start of any probe, saying he fears they may interfere with the exercise.
Last month, rumours began circulating of a possible breach of TSTT’s data. However, Gonzales publicly denied that this was true.
Last Friday, however, TSTT admitted that a cyberattack did, in fact, take place on October 9 but assured its customers that their current data is still safe.
Nevertheless, customers’ personal data, including identification card numbers, passport numbers, banks account information and PO Box addresses were leaked in the data dump.
Yesterday, Gonzales admitted that he did not get proper information from TSTT initially.
“When I first responded that it (breach) was not so, it was based on what I was told, that there was no cyberbreach or breach of customers data at that point in time. Of course, I was responding based on information that was relayed to me by the authority,” Gonzales said.
Despite this, Gonzales still withheld the identity of the person or persons from TSTT who told him otherwise.
“Of course, I will not say who advised me of that and that is the reason why I invoked my authority as Minister of Public Utilities to order that an independent investigation be done into this matter,” he added.
Prime minister Dr Keith Rowley’s personal information was among the data leaked. He has since urged those involved to get to the bottom of the breach.
Gonzales said Rowley told him that this matter should be brought to the attention of national security.
Asked what sound advice he had received from the Prime Minister on the breach, Gonzales said, “How to manage in these difficult circumstances, and, of course, I cannot divulge but he did provide some information and advice as to how it should be treated at the highest level to ensure that the public’s interest of knowing and getting to the bottom of it is preserved and that no one interferes in the process and that it receives even the fullest attention of the national security services of Trinidad and Tobago.”
The minister added, however, that he expects TSTT will face the public soon to deliver an update on the matter.
Guardian Media reached out to CEO Agard yesterday but she did not respond to calls or messages.
