In his intervention, César Moliné pointed out that the most significant risks to national critical infrastructure today come from hybrid threats, the automation of attacks through artificial intelligence, and vulnerabilities across the digital supply chain. Recent examples like ransomware attacks at PetroEcuador or at Colonial Pipeline in the US demonstrate real-world impact on economy, public services and national security and stability. Moreover, using artificial intelligence for automating attacks, identifying network vulnerabilities and launch attacks autonomously, increase exponentially the speed, scope and sophistication of cyber threats.

César Moliné stressed the importance of strengthening regional cooperation in cybersecurity across Latin America and the Caribbean, and highlighted three fundamental elements for its success: political trust and coordination among governments, mechanisms for institutionalized information sharing and legislative harmonization. While initiatives like LAC4 Centre and CyberSec Cluster, the organizer of the Digital Shield Conference, illustrate what regional cooperation can achieve, persistent fragmentation in technical capacity, legal and regulatory differences and trust remain key obstacles to an united response.

While LAC region faces challenges, there are unique opportunities to build a stronger, more inclusive and secure digital future, said César Moliné in a conclusion. He noted that resilience cannot be a reaction, but rather it is a continuous process of preparation: every policy decision, partnership, investment in digital skill is an investment for secure and resilient digital future.