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Training for Strengthening Cybersecurity Skills for SMEs

Antigua, Guatemala
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In recent years, cyber-attacks have grown exponentially in Central America, affecting people, governments and businesses alike. While governments and large companies have better tools and resources to prepare for and tackle these effects, the same is not true for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In order to reduce information gaps, promote good cybersecurity practices, and strengthen the SME ecosystem that exports to the European market, the European Union, through the LAC4 and the Estonian Information System Authority, created this regional competition available to the public. It aims to promote the use of the MASS tool and to select three SMEs winners per country, for a face-to-face cybersecurity and networking training event to be held in Antigua, Guatemala, from 19 to 21 March 2025.

A programme funded by the European Union, in cooperation with the Latin American and Caribbean Cyber Capabilities Centre LAC4, has made available to the public the MASS tool, where businesses and enterprises will be able to measure their level of cybersecurity maturity, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and adopt concrete action plans.

This tool is based on the recommendations of the Estonian Information Security Standards (E-ITS), ENISA 2022 Threat Landscape Report (DOI: 10.2824/76418), and includes the management objectives of ISO 270022022.

In November 2024, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) came into force in Europe, which strengthens cybersecurity standards for products containing a digital component, requiring producers and sellers to ensure cybersecurity throughout the life cycle. Consequently, all companies wishing to export and sell digital or digital products in the European common market will have to comply with these new rules.

Target audience

This invitation addresses all SMEs operating in the following countries: Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador, which are currently developing products or services with digital components and that are exporting or having a real interest in exporting their products to the European Union.

In addition, SMEs are required to have at least 3 years of sales (in their own country or other countries) and a team of at least five people. The company does not need to be register as an SME in its home country.

SMEs that, at the time of application to the competition, have obtained any financial benefit from the European Union in the last three years (sponsorship, cash or seed capital) may not participate. Nor may entities carrying out business with countries or persons sanctioned by the European Union.

Requirements for participation

  • Complete the self-assessment of the MASS tool available at: https://mass.cloud.ut.ee/massui/#/
    * Participants must complete the tool using the same name under which they will apply to the contest and must correctly indicate the applicable country name. At the end, they must click on the option to share results with the provider, otherwise organisers will not be able to verify that they have completed the tool and will therefore be automatically excluded (a).
  • Complete the registration form, in which you should write a motivation letter (using the textbox available on the form, with at least 400 to 600 words), in which you briefly describe your entrepreneurship and the products you offer, as well as your plans for entering or expanding to the European market. You will also need to express why cybersecurity and information security are important for your company. Finally, you should refer how you plan to disseminate knowledge of the MASS tool in your country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

    By participating, the SME confirms its readiness to attend – if selected –the cybersecurity training in Antigua, Guatemala, from 19 to 21 March 2025.

Selection criteria

Up to three winning SMEs per country will be selected and each SME will have the right to take two people. The following criteria will be taken into account in selecting the winners:

  • Analysis of the direct benefit that the training course will have on SMEs (derived from the motivation letter and the results of the self-assessment of the MASS tool): 50 %
  • Scalability of SMEs to enter or expand into the Central American market and the European market (derived from the motivation letter): 30 %
  • SME commitment to publicise the use of the MASS tool (derived from the motivation letter) to the public: 20 %

The winners’ results will be published on 18 February 2025 via LAC4 website: https://www.lac4.eu/ and any other available means of communication for the EU Delegations in Central America.

* If any of the three companies from each selected country cannot attend, the organisation may invite the subsequent companies with the highest score obtained in the self-assessment form, or incorporate another company from any of the participating countries that has obtained a better score.

Benefits

Selected SMEs will have the right to nominate two individuals to participate in cybersecurity training in Antigua, Guatemala, from 19 to 21 March 2025. The designated persons must be collaborators (employees or professional services providers) of the enterprise; it is not allowed to take third parties (family, friends, suppliers, clients, etc.).

In addition, one member must have technical knowledge of information security and the other person must be involved in the administration or management of the business.

Sponsorship includes the following:

  • Air transfers from their country of origin (Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize or El Salvador) to the Republic of Guatemala (and vice versa). Departure Tuesday 18 March and return Friday 21 March. In the case of SMEs in Guatemala, they will have to cover on their own account the costs of moving from their city of origin to Guatemala City.
  • Land transfer from Guatemala City to Antigua, Guatemala on Tuesday 18 March and return to Guatemala City on Friday 21 March.
  • Stay in a hotel in Antigua, Guatemala, making a check-in on Tuesday 18 March and the checkout on Friday 21 March in the morning. The hotel will include the breakfast service.
  • Feeding during the working days on Wednesday 19, Thursday 20 and Friday 21 March (up to half a day). The participants shall cover dinners and any additional feed.

Exclusions

Any other travel-related expenditure such as: medical insurance, visas, costs of transfer from home to the airport (and vice versa), activities outside working days, airline penalties, land or air transport costs due to defaults or delays on the part of participants, as well as any other cost not expressly provided for in the sponsorship cover, shall be borne by the participants alone and under their responsibility.

Commitments by participants

  • The two participants for each SME must be adult and must attend all sessions of the course, so they cannot unreasonably alternate or absent (in whole or in part) from the training.
  • They must at all times comply with the instructions and timetables defined by the organisers.
  • They must at all times act with respect to other persons and comply with the laws of the Republic of Guatemala. Therefore, they must refrain from engaging in illegal or immoral activities.
  • Refrain from making public, in whole or in part, the content of the training without prior consent from the organizers.
  • Provide false information during the implementation process or during the implementation of the contest.

Participants who fail to honour any of the above commitments must repay the total amount of the patronage to the European Union within 22 days of receipt.

The European Union may also suspend at any time, the participation of any person who fails to comply with the terms of this competition. After a written or oral notification of suspension, the European Union will no longer grant sponsorship and the costs incurred by the participant (including return to his/her country of origin) will be borne exclusively by that person.

Schedule of activities

Launch of the contest 27th January 2025
Closure of applications 10th February (11:30 pm Central American time, UTC-6) 2025
Revision of the submissions 11th to 14th February 2025
Communication to winners 18th February 2025
Training in Antigua, Guatemala 18th to 21st March 2025

 

Policy on processing of personal data

Candidates and participants consent to the European Union to process the personal data included in the participation forms, including authorisation to share such data with third party providers to the European Union, to perform the services resulting from this sponsorship (including organisers, travel agencies, hotels, transport services, etc.).

Such data shall be processed solely for the purposes referred to above and may be used for subsequent transmission to competitors, notices or notices of other competitions or services made available to the public by the European Union.

If you wish to withdraw this consent, please send an email to: .

For any doubt or clarification about the participation process, you can write to Mr. Willy Carvajal, to the following email: .