In April 2022, Costa Rica suffered a wave of extortion cyberattacks of such magnitude that even critical infrastructure services, including healthcare and payroll processing, were affected. For the first time in the region, a country had to declare a national emergency due to a cyberattack.
These incidents underlined the urgent need to strengthen cyberdiplomacy and regional cooperation to build a safer and more resilient cyberspace.
More than two years after these attacks, what cybersecurity challenges is Latin America facing today?
Paula Brenes Ramírez, a Costa Rican computer engineer and current president of the Yod Foundation, decided to address the issue in a proposal selected for the 5th edition of LACNIC’s Líderes Program, an initiative that offers funding and mentorship for research on Internet Governance topics.
Through a documentary analysis of cybersecurity policies and interviews with experts, Brenes was able to obtain valuable insights into effective strategies for strengthening cybersecurity and building trust networks. Her work was conducted with the support of her mentor, Julián Casasbuenas, director of Colnodo.
Cyberdiplomacy and Trust Networks
It is important to clearly understand two concepts that the researcher refers to throughout her work and that play a key role in both analyzing the situation and presenting her conclusions.
Cyber diplomacy is the use of digital tools and Information and Communication technologies (ICT) by States to achieve their foreign policy objectives. It requires a coherent and coordinated strategy that integrates with traditional diplomatic methods.
Trust networks are comprised of governments, businesses, civil society, and technical experts, and their role is to facilitate the exchange of information, coordinate actions, and develop capacities to more effectively prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats.
For this study, Brenes interviewed experts with experience in developing trust networks, who shared knowledge, strategies, and lessons learned in relation to cybersecurity.
These experts included:
- Winfried Weck, Head of the Regional Programme Alliances for Development and Democracy with Latin America (ADELA) and the Panama Office, and Yadira Elizabeth Gratacós Reyes, Project Coordinator.
- Ricardo Cáceres, Director of Information Technologies at SICA, who also coordinates the Technical Administrative Secretariat of the ERDI ad-hoc group, which leads SICA’s Regional Digital Strategy.
- Belisario Contreras, Coordinator of the Digi Americas Alliance.
- Eduvigis Ortiz, President of Women4Cyber Spain.
- Liina Areng, EU CyberNet Project Director.
- César Moliné Rodríguez, LAC4.
- Ernesto Ibarra, President of the Mexican Cybersecurity and Digital Law Academy.
- Miguel Porrua, e-Government Principal Specialist, Data and Digital Government Cluster Coordinator at RED GEALC.
The interviews are available, in Spanish, at the Voces que construyen confianza (Voices Building Trust) podcast.
Additionally, by using Artificial Intelligence tools, Brenes created story-format videos based on real cases of cyberattacks affecting countries in the region. Her strategy is to employ storytelling —the art of conveying narratives effectively— to raise awareness about cybersecurity and the political and social implications of these attacks, as well as to maximize the reach and impact of the findings of the study.
As an example, the first story (The day paradise came to a halt, in Spanish) based on the cyberattacks that occurred in Costa Rica in 2022 is available here: https://youtu.be/1PLunSj0sm8
All seven stories that are part of this project are available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/@FundacionYoD/playlists
The study conducted by Paula Brenes concludes that both cyberdiplomacy and trust networks are essential pillars for regional cybersecurity. It is crucial for governments, businesses, and civil society to work together to strengthen cyber defense capabilities and promote cooperation among these networks.
The author stresses that this work “is also part of the collaborative support that the Lideres program encourages by creating a network.” She concludes by saying that anyone interested in participating in a new edition of the podcast can reach out to them.
Here are some of the researcher’s proposed recommendations:
- Promote public policies that incorporate cybersecurity across all levels of public and private administration.
- Expand cyber cooperation beyond political and economic borders.
- Encourage the active participation of regional stakeholders in international cybersecurity forums.
- Establish and strengthen national and regional Cybersecurity Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) that collaborate in real time to address emerging threats.
Brenes’s work is one of the 16 proposals selected as a result of the 2024 Líderes Program call for presentations. Paula Oteguy, Multisectoral Relations Coordinator at LACNIC and head of the program, highlighted the value of the selected initiatives. As noted by Oteguy, “This year’s research has generated new knowledge and perspectives on various key Internet Governance issues. Findings appear in the interplay of IG spaces and processes, providing valuable inputs that will later be shared within these very spaces. The outcomes of this research highlight both the context and the scale of various issues, while also suggesting potential solutions in areas such as access, inclusion, security, emerging technologies, and digital skills. This aspect is particularly relevant and one that I would like to highlight about the program and its researchers.”
The complete study and other initiatives selected through the 2024 Líderes Program call for proposals, are available here.
