Committee To Review Payments Made By Govt
The Public Accounts Committee said they “will pursue further details regarding payments made by Government in connection with the September 2023 cyberattack” and “examine the circumstances surrounding the approximately $4.4 million in expenditure recorded against the cyber incident.”
Background
The Parliamentary Joint Select Committee report on the September 2023 cyber attack was released this earlier this year and said that “all available indicators suggest that a ransom demand was made and that ransom or ransom-related payment activity may have occurred.”
The report stated, “The Committee notes the Cyber Incident 2023 Budget Book line items: approximately $3.092 million under Head 10 – Ministry of Finance Headquarters, and approximately $1.323 million under Head 43 – Information and Digital Technologies, for a combined total of approximately $4.415 million.
“The Committee does not state, on the basis of the line items alone, that the full amount was paid as ransom. However, the scale, timing, and description of those line items require full explanation.
“The Committee further considers that the $4.415 million expenditure must be assessed against the alternative scenario of rebuilding Government’s affected digital environment without access to backups or original software.
“Based on comparable public-sector ransomware incidents and the likely scope of Government’s digital environment, rebuilding without access to backups or original software could have required direct 2023 market costs in the range of $25 million to $70 million, with severe-case exposure exceeding $100 million if critical data had to be manually reconstructed or legacy systems fully replaced.
“The Committee therefore recommends referral of the report and supporting materials to the Public Accounts Committee. The PAC should determine who was paid from the Cyber Incident 2023 line items, the amount and purpose of each payment, whether any payment related to ransom negotiation, decryption, data recovery, system restoration, forensic support, intermediaries, insurers, cryptocurrency facilitation, or similar activity, and whether the payment trail provides further evidence relevant to identifying parties involved in, facilitating, or benefiting from the cyberattack.”
Public Accounts Committee Issue Statement Today
According to the official website, the Public Accounts Committee is chaired by OBA MP Dr Douglas DeCouto, and the members include PLP MPs Curtis Dickinson, Scott Simmons, Neville Tyrrell and Renee Ming, OBA MP Vance Campbell and Independent MP Robert King.
A statement issued today said, “The Public Accounts Committee [the Committee] confirms that it will pursue further details regarding payments made by Government in connection with the September 2023 cyberattack, in keeping with the recommendation of the Joint Select Committee on the Cyber Attack in its recently tabled report.
“That report recommended that the Committee, drawing on its expertise in public financial administration, examine the circumstances surrounding the approximately $4.4 million in expenditure recorded against the cyber incident — including to whom payments were made, for what purpose, and on whose authorisation. The Committee has determined that it will take up this recommendation and will proceed with its own review in due course.
“The Committee takes this opportunity to remind the public of its non-partisan character. The Public Accounts Committee is a seven-member committee of the House of Assembly, appointed by the Speaker of the House rather than by either party, and comprising both Government and Opposition backbenchers. By long-standing convention, the Committee is chaired by a Member of the Opposition, underscoring its function as an independent check on public spending rather than as an extension of Government or of any party. The Committee has four members from the Government and three from the opposition.
“The Committee generally conducts its work, including the taking of evidence, in confidence. This convention is not intended to shield information from the public, but to allow witnesses to speak frankly and fully, in the knowledge that their evidence will be treated responsibly. This is common to Public Accounts Committees throughout the Westminster system. The Committee will report its findings and conclusions publicly once its work is complete. Members of the public wishing to understand more about how the Committee operates, including its procedures for taking evidence and safeguarding confidentiality, are encouraged to consult the Committee’s Manual, available from the Office of the Clerk to the Legislature.
“The Committee also reminds the public of its recently released report on the Government’s handling of COVID-19 Travel Authorization data, tabled in the House of Assembly on July 18, 2026. That report raised serious concerns regarding the Government’s control over sensitive personal data and its compliance with procurement rules, and it remains available to the public. [Link To Report].
“The Committee welcomes submissions from members of the public on matters relevant to its work. Submissions may be made through the Office of the Clerk to the Legislature, or directly to the Chairman, Douglas De Couto, at ddecouto@oba.bm, or to any other member of the Committee.”
Please make this open to the press and public!