Uruguay begins process for co-creation of National Cybersecurity Strategy

This is a machine translation of a press release by Uruguay's Agesic

The co-creation of this Strategy is led and coordinated by Agesic, with the advice of the Honorary Advisory Council for Information Security (Cahsi) and the Management Committee of the National Cybersecurity Strategy (Cgenc). It has the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Cyber Competence Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC4) and the Organization of American States (OAS). The implementation of the Strategy manifests Uruguay's commitment to confront the constantly evolving threats in the field of cybersecurity, ensuring the country's resilience in the face of these challenges.

Participating in the launch were Hebert Paguas, executive director of Agesic; Mauricio Papaleo, director of the Information Security area at Agesic; Mercedes Aramendía, representative of the Honorary Advisory Council for Information Security (Cahsi); Claudio López, representative of the National Strategy Management Committee (CGE); and Violanda Botet, deputy executive secretary of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (Cicte) of the Organization of American States (OAS).

Paguas expressed that to protect against risks it is necessary to raise awareness and educate on cybersecurity, in addition to establishing a legal framework that promotes innovation and protection of critical information infrastructure. In this sense, he added that he proposed working on a national strategy that encompasses different perspectives, promoting accessibility, transparency and inclusion.

For his part, Aramendía expressed the importance of generating recommendations on cybersecurity issues, with the first draft of the strategy being a transversal way of responding comprehensively to problems related to cybersecurity.

On the other hand, López added that the strategy must be operationalized, and to do so a structure must be proposed that encompasses: culture and ecosystem, governance and legal framework, cybercrime, critical information infrastructure, cyber defense and international politics. In this sense, Botet highlighted that the draft strategy compiles good practices, highlights aspects of different actors and allows for benefits for the country, not only for critical information infrastructure assets, but also confidence in innovation to combat disinformation.

Finally, Papaleo expressed that, in recent years, risks have accelerated in digital environments, and therefore a comprehensive strategy that generates trust is imperative.

About the Strategy

The ENC aims to address growing threats in the digital sphere. It seeks social well-being, improve strategic governance and establish people-centered goals. In addition, it focuses on protecting critical information infrastructures, and promoting a safe, open cyberspace committed to human rights.

The co-creation stages include interviews, work tables and citizen participation through a digital platform. This process seeks to guarantee the adaptability and relevance of the strategy in the face of constantly evolving threats.

The structure of the ENC draft is divided into six fundamental pillars: Governance and Legal and Regulatory Framework, Cybercrime, Critical Infrastructures, Cyberdefense, Culture and Ecosystem, and International Policy. Each pillar has specific objectives and lines of action aimed at strengthening the security and resilience of cyberspace in Uruguay.