“In my experience, there are two main challenges in cybersecurity. On the one hand, staff turnover is constant; there is a lot of demand and it is not always possible to find qualified people. On the other hand, and this is something I see every day, there are few women in the field.” says María Agustina Echaniz, cybersecurity analyst at CERTUNLP and professor at the Faculty of Computer Science at the National University of La Plata (Argentina), in her interview with LAC4 prior to the program’s in-person meeting in Santo Domingo. With extensive experience in the sector, María Agustina highlights the value of continuous training and exchange with professionals to face the constant challenges of cybersecurity in an evolving digital environment. 

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

I enrolled in the CyberTracks course because I work in cybersecurity and regularly seek training to stay up to date on the subject. What caught my attention was that the program would cover topics that I work with on a regular basis and to which I could contribute my experience, but it also included topics that I don’t usually apply, giving me the opportunity to continue learning and expand my skills. It also gives me the chance to connect with other professionals in this field that I am passionate about. My expectations were to refresh my knowledge and, of course, acquire new knowledge and new tools for my day-to-day work. I believe it is essential to renew and update your knowledge in order to be part of and contribute your best in this ever-changing world.

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 CyberTracks program has been very good so far. I have been able to deepen and refresh topics I already knew, which I found extremely useful. I have also connected with the people in my group, my tutor, and the other students, which has been a very enriching experience. My expectations have been fully met, and I am very happy with what I have learned. I hope that the next modules of the course will be as interesting as the ones we have already taken, especially with the in-person training in Santo Domingo coming up. 

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

In my experience, there are two main challenges in cybersecurity. On the one hand, staff turnover is constant; there is a lot of demand and it is not always possible to find qualified people. On the other hand, and this is something I see every day, there are few women in the field. For this reason, I think initiatives such as CyberTracks are very important, as they allow us to include more women in the world of cybersecurity. 

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

Based on what I have experienced, I believe that international organizations such as the EU and ITU, or initiatives such as the LAC4 Center, can help a lot. The main thing is that they continue to provide more training like this, which is key to getting more people, and especially more women, trained in cybersecurity. In addition, it would be great if they could add initiatives for meetings of women interested in the subject, spaces where we can get to know each other, share experiences, and support each other. This not only strengthens us individually, but also contributes to closing the gender gap that still exists in cybersecurity. 

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.