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Latin American Organizations Struggle with Cybersecurity Defenses and Skills Shortage

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1 unique sources, 2 articles

Summary

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Latin American organizations report low confidence in their nations' cyber defenses, with only 13% confident in their country's ability to protect critical infrastructure. The region faces a significant cybersecurity skills gap, with 69% lacking critical personnel and capabilities. Cyberattacks have surged by 53% year-over-year, driven by cybercrime syndicates from Southeast Asia and China. Latin American organizations now face an average of around 3,100 cyber threats per week, nearly double the 1,500 threats faced by US organizations. The lack of skilled professionals and investment in cyber resilience infrastructure hampers the region's digital progress, making it vulnerable to systemic risks. Phishing campaigns are particularly effective, and the healthcare and financial services sectors are heavily targeted.

Timeline

  1. 22.01.2026 18:05 2 articles · 1mo ago

    Latin America Faces Rising Cyberattacks and Skills Shortage

    Latin American organizations report low confidence in their nations' cyber defenses, with a 53% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks. The region struggles with a significant cybersecurity skills gap, with 69% lacking critical personnel. Cybercrime syndicates from Southeast Asia and China are increasingly active in the region, targeting critical infrastructure and financial systems. Latin American organizations now face an average of around 3,100 cyber threats per week, nearly double the 1,500 threats faced by US organizations. Phishing campaigns are particularly effective, and the healthcare and financial services sectors are heavily targeted.

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Information Snippets

  • Only 13% of Latin American organizations are confident in their nation's cyber defenses, while 49% lack confidence.

    First reported: 22.01.2026 18:05
    1 source, 2 articles
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  • Latin America experienced a 53% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks, 40% higher than the global average.

    First reported: 22.01.2026 18:05
    1 source, 2 articles
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  • 69% of Latin American organizations lack critical cybersecurity personnel and capabilities.

    First reported: 22.01.2026 18:05
    1 source, 2 articles
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  • Cybercrime syndicates from Southeast Asia and China have increased their presence in Latin America.

    First reported: 22.01.2026 18:05
    1 source, 2 articles
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  • Brazil's financial system is a perennial target of cybercriminals, and Mexico faces cybersecurity challenges ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

    First reported: 22.01.2026 18:05
    1 source, 2 articles
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  • 77% of respondents in Latin America and the Caribbean have experienced cyber-enabled fraud or know someone who has.

    First reported: 22.01.2026 18:05
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Latin American organizations face an average of around 3,100 cyber threats per week, nearly double the 1,500 threats faced by US organizations.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Ransomware attacks account for 5.4% of attacks in Latin America, compared to 3.1% in the US.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Infostealers account for 5.3% of attacks in Latin America, compared to 2.1% in the US.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Banking malware accounts for 2.8% of attacks in Latin America, compared to 0.8% in the US.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Botnets account for 13.1% of attacks in Latin America, compared to 7.2% in the US.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • 95% of malicious files in the US are delivered via the Web, compared to 26% in Latin America, where email makes up the other 74%.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Phishing campaigns are extremely effective in Latin America, particularly those impersonating financial institutions, payment notifications, invoices, travel confirmations, or government communications.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Healthcare was the most victimized sector in Latin America, targeted around 28% more than the next most targeted sector (education).

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • The financial services industry ranked as the sixth most targeted in Latin America, despite not making Check Point's Top 10 in the US.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • The overall cybersecurity maturity of countries across Latin America and the Caribbean is scored between 2 and 3 on a scale from zero to five.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • The high-profile supply chain incident at Brazilian fintech provider C&M Software involved an insider working with a cybercrime group, resulting in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Many organizations in Latin America operate with mixed IT environments and uneven security investments, creating opportunities for attackers.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Cybercriminal groups increasingly view Latin America as a high-return region for fraud and extortion, using relatively simple techniques such as phishing or credential theft.

    First reported: 05.03.2026 16:00
    1 source, 1 article
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