Four Days of Cybersecurity in Patagonia

11/06/2019

More than fifty cybersecurity professionals gathered from around the Argentine Patagonia to participate in a four-day conference and training workshop on computer incident management and the creation of incident response teams organized by LACNIC WARP in the province of Neuquén.

Together with the Secretariat for Public Modernization Management of the province of Neuquén and the National University of La Plata, LACNIC WARP brought together experts representing the banking sector, public and private entities, provincial governments, academic organizations and others to analyze the latest trends in cybersecurity and work on the creation of Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs).

The first day of presentations addressed the work of LACNIC WARP, the latest trends in cyberattacks in Latin America, and the importance of having coordinated and collaborative teams to face the challenges posed by cybercriminals.

This was followed by a three-day AMPARO workshop, a LACNIC initiative that seeks to strengthen the knowledge of computer security issues by training experts and promoting the creation of CSIRTs.

Graciela Martínez, Head of LACNIC WARP and the instructor responsible for these workshops, highlighted the work of the Argentine professionals who work in organizations operating critical infrastructure in Patagonia and who attended the workshop. “As LACNIC WARP, we were able offer them advice on the best way to implement the response center best suited to the needs of each organization,” said Martinez.

The expert noted that the workshop and hands-on exercises had allowed a group of technicians with different visions —and even competitors in the ISP market— to find a common approach to face the security issues that are common to their organizations. “This training allowed them to realize that incident management requires working in coordination,” observed Martinez.

“We contributed to the construction of community in the region so they can continue working on cybersecurity issues in an organized and coordinated way that will help them better manage incidents,” she added.

In turn, Alejandra Di Crocco, the technical coordinator responsible for the Secretariat for Public Modernization Management of the province of Neuquén, observed that the workshop had served to understand how citizens can be protected, how to take care of network security, and how to protect services and systems facing cybersecurity challenges and attacks.

Meeting with ARSAT. After the workshop, Martínez traveled to Buenos Aires to visit the offices of ARSAT, the Argentine National Company of Satellite Solutions. There, she met with experts, professionals and authorities of the Argentine Secretariat for Modernization, who wish to establish a close relationship with LACNIC WARP to work jointly on incident management issues.