The evolution of the information and communications technologies (TIC) It has already caused a great paradigm shift in all societies, including Spanish and Latin American societies.
In a globalized world, the intensive use of ICT by citizens, companies, governments and other social organizations, as well as the exchange of information between all these agents, entails a series of risks and entails the implementation of protection and security measures for the data exchanged and the connected systems and networkswhich mean that cybersecurity must be taken into account, forming an integral part of technological progress.
Governments, organizations and individuals seek to protect their assets and infrastructure through a set of guidelines, policies and tools that aim to create a climate of digital trust that generates cybersecurity. All this, accompanied by figures of global spending and investment in cybersecurity growing at almost double digits annually in the last 10 years and a growing number of cybersecurity professionals. In fact, 825,000 workers will be in demand in 2025 in the European Union alone, and the gap in cybersecurity professionals in Latin America is 600,000, according to Gartner and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Greater collaboration
In the Latin American case, the need for greater collaboration is especially relevant because it is an area of ​​the world with notable potential, but not yet sufficiently prepared to face the attacks that occur in cyberspace. Few countries in this territory have a protection plan for your critical infrastructureand not many have established a central government body responsible for cybersecurity management, with its derived national strategies.
This reality has led, in most countries, to the development of different cybersecurity subsectors and companies associated with them in a context in which the number, frequency and complexity of incidents is increasing. Of course, Spain is no exception. In fact, it is one of the countries that shows the most commitment to cybersecurity, as exemplified by its fourth position in the Global Cybersecurity Index, published by the International Telecommunications Union of the United Nations.
Latin America is still not sufficiently prepared to face the attacks that occur in cyberspace
Being Spain one of the most attacked countries in the world (depending on the source, it would be between the first and third most attacked at the European level) due to the global trend itself, the high level of digitalization and digital skills of our services − including tourism and leisure, infrastructure, companies and citizens − above the European average, its economic relevance, the increase in remote work and solid awareness and notification mechanisms, this challenge requires continuous improvement of cybersecurity measurespublic-private collaboration and international cooperation to mitigate risks and improve resilience against cyber threats. But Latin America also suffers this situation. It is not far behind when it comes to being victims of ransomwarewith notable cases that affected both Central and South America, although with a deficit of good regulation in terms of cybersecurity. Furthermore, the low awareness of the population is another problem yet to be resolved.
International expansion
The international expansion of Spanish companies is also an event that is increasingly proliferating in its at least twofold aspect. international business development and searching for international partners, investors and financiers for the growth of these companies.
It is in this sense that the work of ICEX throughout the world, and particularly in Latin America, in collaboration with the Network of Economic and Commercial Offices of Spain and always in its service provider competition to Spanish companies with the purpose of promoting and facilitating their international projection −design and execution of commercial promotion programs, preparation and dissemination of information on the offer of Spanish products and on international markets, promotion of technical training for company personnel. corporation and the training of professionals, the promotion of the attraction and promotion of foreign investments in Spain, etc. – joins forces with the Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute (Incibe). A public body that, in its mission to reinforce cybersecurity, trust and the protection of privacy in information society services, providing value to citizens, companies, Administration, Spanish academic and research network, cannot be best ally in favor of the internationalization of Spanish companies in the cybersecurity sector, explicitly collaborating in what is an example of inter-ministerial cooperation since 2018.
This joint ICEX-Incibe strategy has materialized in recent years in a good instrument portfolio to promote collaboration between Spanish companies and their Latin American counterparts.
In the last four years, the economic and commercial offices of Spain In Latin America, coordinated and supervised by ICEX and Incibe, they have published market studies and sectoral sheets on the situation and opportunities in the cybersecurity sector in seven countries: Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, Chile, Argentina and Peru.
Specialized cybersecurity events
With respect to participation in specialized destination events, it is fair to highlight that the organization of the Spain pavilion in the reference fair on the American continent (the RSA Conference, in San Francisco, United States) has already brought 26 Spanish companies closer to the American cybersecurity sector in the recent April 2024 edition, which had an interesting Latin American influence.
There was also a group participation of several Spanish companies in the Mexican fair Infosecurity in 2023.
Also especially representative is the work carried out by ICEX and Incibe when it comes to bringing Latin American buyers and investors closer to ENISE. The interest in the Spanish cybersecurity market of Latin American buyers has a specific weight in the reverse missions of the International Business Forum of this event held in León (Spain), exceeding 50 percent of the guests confirmed in the last two editions, mainly from Mexico, Colombia and Chile, in addition to its own Mexican delegation that officially attended this event for the first time in 2023.
Likewise, a commercial mission of Spanish companies to Chile during the fourth quarter of 2024 is correctly proposed, as this is one of the Latin American countries with the highest investment in critical infrastructures, cybersecurity and digital technology.
Finally, we must not fail to highlight ICEX’s support for the successive STIC Conferences, organized by the Spanish CCNCERT and Incibe itself, and which already have their component in Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. The objective of this event is rely more and more on experts and organizations to provide training, technical information and consulting.
Likewise, work is underway for the second half of 2024 on a trade mission of Spanish companies to Washington (United States), which will reinforce the momentum given with the delegation sent to Chile. In this case, with strong multilateral content – ​​World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank – with the clear intention of promoting the prescription of good practices, products and services of Spanish companies in Latin American countries that are clients of multilateral institutions. This continues the work already started by Incibe in multilateral institutions and forums, where it has a very active presence. For example, in the Organization of American States, with which it actively collaborates in the organization of events like the Cybersecurity Summer BootCampa specialized cybersecurity training program aimed at CERT, cybersecurity forces and bodies, and policy makers.
Without a doubt, the Latin American region is already present, future and an example of collaboration between counterparts on both sides of the Atlantic in one of the sectors that require greater strategic cooperation at a global level: cybersecurity. And ICEX and Incibe will continue to facilitate this strategic alliance.