“What attracted me most to Her CyberTracks was its commitment to strengthening the technical capabilities of women in a field where we have historically been underrepresented” says Bianca Benítez, a full-stack developer, in her interview with LAC4 prior to the program’s in-person training in Santo Domingo. With experience in software development and a critical view of current challenges, Bianca is committed to integrating cybersecurity from the early stages of digital development and building a more inclusive security culture. Her testimony highlights the importance of promoting gender-focused training spaces so that more women can lead in the digital world. 

 You applied to the program a while ago – what caught your attention and what drove you to sending your application?   

I have been developing as a full-stack programmer for some time, and although I have worked on projects with a focus on security, I felt the need to delve deeper into the area of cybersecurity in order to contribute more strategically and securely to the digital products I develop. 

What mostly caught my attention about the Her CyberTracks program was its focus on strengthening the technical capabilities of women worldwide in a field where we have historically been underrepresented. I saw the opportunity as a way to acquire key knowledge, connect with other women with similar interests, and begin to build a career specializing in digital security.  

Her CyberTracks program is more than half way through since its start in April, and we are going to meet soon in Santo Domingo for in-person training. How has it been so far?  

The experience has been extremely enriching. I have acquired fundamental knowledge about risk analysis, best practices in data protection, and global challenges in digital security. 

What has impressed me most is the quality of the content and the possibility of applying what I have learned to real-world contexts. It has also been very valuable to connect with other women from different countries, share experiences, and see how cybersecurity can be approached from different professional profiles. 

My expectations have been amply fulfilled, and I am looking forward to participating in the in-person training in Santo Domingo, where I hope to continue strengthening my technical skills and learning from colleagues in the field.   

Given your background, what do you think are the greatest challenges in cybersecurity right now? What do you see in your daily work?   

One of the biggest challenges I see is the lack of awareness and culture of digital security in small and medium-sized organizations, especially in Latin America. Often, there are no basic protocols or training for teams, which leaves sensitive data and critical systems exposed. In addition, rapid digitization in the wake of the pandemic has left gaps that have not yet been adequately addressed, from the unsafe use of applications to poor access and password management. 

A specific case that reflects this vulnerability is what happened recently in Paraguay, where several public institutions were targeted by cyberattacks. In May 2025, at least 11 government agencies were compromised, and shortly thereafter, the personal data of more than 7 million citizens, equivalent to virtually the entire population of the country, was leaked on the dark web. This attack not only exposed sensitive information, but also highlighted the lack of institutional preparedness to respond to incidents of this magnitude. 

From my role as a developer, I see an urgent need to integrate security practices from the beginning of the software development cycle and to promote more opportunities for continuing education, especially for women who want to enter this field. In addition, an effective structural solution would be to promote public policies that encourage minimum cybersecurity standards, incentivize technical training, and provide practical resources for implementation in all types of organizations, both public and private. 

Drawing from your experience, how international organisations like the EU and ITU or initiatives like LAC4 Centre could help to address these challenges?   

International organizations play a key role in reducing inequalities in access to knowledge and technical resources in our region. The EU, ITU, and centers such as LAC4 can help by creating training programs adapted to the Latin American context, promoting best practices, and supporting accessible tools for local governments and organizations. 

It is also essential that they continue to promote gender-focused capacity-building initiatives, such as Her CyberTracks, which empower women to take leadership in a field as critical as cybersecurity. 

International cooperation and knowledge sharing between regions can be a transformative force in closing gaps, strengthening digital resilience, and building a safer and more informed citizenry. 

 About Bianca Benítez

Bianca Benítez is a full stack developer with experience in developing technological solutions for the financial sector in Latin America. She is currently part of the team at Addalitica, a company specializing in digital innovation for banks, where she has led projects in automated data extraction, biometric authentication, and process optimization using advanced technologies. 

  

She holds a degree in International Business from Tamkang University in Taiwan, which provided her with a global perspective and intercultural communication skills. She later specialized in web development in Toronto, Canada, mastering technologies such as JavaScript, Python, Node.js, React, and cloud services with AWS. 

  

Bianca has a growing interest in cybersecurity and is currently specializing in this area, with the aim of contributing to a more secure, ethical, and inclusive digital environment in the region. 

  

Her CyberTracks is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany  and the European Union and co-implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in partnership with the Global Programme on Cybercrime of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the Criminal Justice CyberTrack and the Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre (LAC4) for the LAC region. Read more about the program.