Paramaribo, Suriname – As government operations grow increasingly digital across the globe, Suriname’s e-Government Directorate (e-Gov) has taken a key step to boost national cyber resilience, hosting a second specialized cybersecurity awareness workshop for senior leaders across all national ministries. Held at Hotel Torarica, the workshop is part of a broader ongoing initiative designed to build threat awareness and strengthen protection for sensitive government data and digital infrastructure.
The series of training sessions is a joint effort between e-Gov and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with instruction delivered by experienced IT professionals from leading local cybersecurity firms based in Suriname. The first workshop in the series, held on June 3, was targeted at IT staff and civil servants across a range of public agencies, expanding awareness to frontline public sector workers before the targeted session for top decision-makers.
Llydion Dalfour, Director of Suriname’s e-Government Directorate, opened the workshop by framing the dual reality of public sector digital transformation. He emphasized that widespread adoption of digital tools has unlocked major benefits for Suriname’s government, including more efficient public services, greater administrative transparency, and improved access to services for ordinary citizens. But Dalfour also stressed that growing digital dependence comes with unavoidable new responsibilities. “Every new digital service, every connected system, every new integration brings new vulnerabilities,” he explained, noting that cybercriminal networks continue to grow more sophisticated and organized each year.
Dalfour outlined the two core goals of the targeted workshop for senior leaders. First, the session aims to embed a culture of cyber awareness at the highest levels of government, where policy and budget decisions shape the overall security posture of public agencies. Second, the workshop provides practical, actionable technical guidance to help leaders identify emerging cyber risks early and implement effective mitigation measures across their departments.
Krish Dwarkasing, an IT security consultant at Suriname’s leading OMNI Information Security Consultancy N.V., emphasized the pervasive nature of modern cyber threats in his remarks. As both public and private organizations grow more reliant on data and digital workflows to carry out core operations, protecting that information from internal and external threats has become a core operational priority. “Cybersecurity is fundamentally about safeguarding the data that organizations depend on to function,” Dwarkasing explained. He noted that threats can originate both from outside actors seeking unauthorized access and from internal gaps in training or process, making organization-wide awareness just as critical as advanced technical defenses. To sustain long-term resilience, Dwarkasing added, organizations must also implement clear, formal cybersecurity policies that set consistent standards for all staff.
Marlon Roosveld, a member of the Suriname Customs management team, highlighted the immediate relevance of the training for his agency, which handles vast volumes of sensitive personal and commercial data on a daily basis. Roosveld noted that a successful cyber attack on customs systems would have far-reaching consequences for national trade, public safety, and citizen privacy, making ongoing staff training and awareness non-negotiable for the agency. “This workshop equips our leadership to address gaps and build a more resilient security posture that protects the critical information we manage every day,” Roosveld said.