Dr. Moniphia Hewling

Biography

Dr. Moniphia O. Hewling, is a renowned Cyber Security Policy and Strategic advisor. She has built a distinguished international career, with years spent working and studying overseas before returning to Jamaica in 2014 to lead national cyber development.
Upon her return, she initiated and headed Jamaica’s first Cyber Incident Response Team (Ja‑CIRT), a pivotal government unit under the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology mandated by Jamaica’s 2015 National Cyber Security Strategy. As Head of Ja‑CIRT, she spearheaded public education efforts that significantly enhanced national awareness of cyberbullying, ransomware, phishing, identity theft, and the intersection of cybercrime with human trafficking.
Under her leadership, Ja‑CIRT launched a web portal in 2019 to streamline cybercrime reporting and provide real‑time alerts to citizens, further professionalizing Jamaica’s cyber incident response infrastructure.

Academically, Dr. Hewling is a prolific researcher and presenter, with publications and conference talks on cybercrime and cybersecurity. She has earned international fellowships and regularly lends her expertise at global forums such as the Organization of American States, CARICOM IMPACS, Caribbean Network Operators Group (Carib.NOG) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN). In 2021-2022, she designed, developed and delivered CARICOM IMPACS cybercrime investigation and cyber safety training (an EU sponsored project) for over 200 law enforcement and judiciary officials across fifteen Caribbean countries.
She currently serves as the Director of the Institute of Cyber Science at the Caribbean Military Academy.

Her entrepreneurial spirit led to the founding of a nonprofit focused on empowering rural Jamaican students through technology. This initiative also continues her advocacy against cybercrime and online human trafficking, strengthening digital safety education at the community level.