“Local governments and municipal systems from public utilities to administrative services are increasingly vulnerable as cyber-attacks become more frequent and sophisticated. With this training, LAC4 commits to strengthening cities’ cyber resilience, their cyber units and crisis management in cooperation with national authorities as it is critical to protect local services and reinforce broader national preparedness against large-scale cyber incidents.” – César Moliné, LAC4 Regional Manager.
“Today, the security of our cities increasingly depends on their digital resilience, as essential services are deeply interconnected with systems exposed to growing and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. In this context, cooperation between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean takes on a strategic dimension, as these are two regions that share fundamental values such as the rule of law, democracy, the protection of citizens, and the defense of strong public services. Faced with threats that know no borders, such as cyberattacks, our responses cannot be isolated; they must be collective, coordinated, and built on mutual trust. Strengthening cyber resilience therefore means not only protecting technological systems but also safeguarding our democratic institutions and public trust in those very institutions.” – Jan Dzięciołowski, Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union Delegation in Uruguay.
“We attach vital importance to this initiative because the world moved from the physical to the virtual long ago. Business happens there, entertainment happens there, human relationships happen there—and risks do too. It would be a mistake not to understand this reality or to develop specific policies to prevent and address risks in the digital sphere. Thinking about these challenges through the lens of a cyber-secure city is essential.” – Mario Bergara, Mayor of Montevideo
Training, featuring presentations, group work, discussions and table-top exercise, aims to encourage large cities in the Southern Cone region to strengthen their cybersecurity and crisis management officials. It will raise awareness of the evolving threat landscape while equipping participants with practical tools and knowledge to understand, create, implement and adapt information security and crisis response plans. The programme also promotes the exchange of international best practices, tests response capabilities through scenario-based exercises, identifies existing gaps and supports the development of coordinated communication and resilience strategies to better protect critical urban services.
Participants represent officials, policymakers, cybersecurity professionals from Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Santiago, Montevideo, but also respective national cyber and crisis management authorities. Instructors, facilitated by EU CyberNet, Alexander Maaß and Paulo Calçada draw examples from Berlin and Porto along with and Armani Pogosjan from Estonian Information System Authority.
Training is organised in cooperation with Agency for Electronic Government and Information and Knowledge Society of Uruguay (AGESIC, Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento), National Administration of Telecommunications of Uruguay (ANTEL, Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones), Intendancy of the Department of Montevideo (Intendencia Departamental de Montevideo) and the Delegation of the European Union to Uruguay.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eucybernet/albums/72177720332209542
