Costa Rica faces a growing threat of cyberattacks due to factors such as its advanced technological infrastructure, the high demand for online services by citizens and its strategic position in the American continent.
This was explained by the director of the Information and Communications Technology Directorate (DTIC) of the Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED), Francisco Durán Montoya, after emphasizing that these characteristics make the country an attractive target for cybercriminals.
According to the university professional, the country has outstanding connectivity, with a wide availability of bandwidth and a considerable penetration of mobile phones, which favors both digital expansion and exposure to risks.
In addition, he indicated that the high demand for digital services generates pressure for organizations to expand their technological surface, which increases the vulnerable points for attacks.
“We are a strategic country in the region, with access to both the north and south of the continent. This position makes us a connection point for digital operations, but it also exposes us to attacks that do not always have a direct target on Costa Rica, but on other countries in the region,” said Durán.
Likewise, the director of the DTIC highlighted that cybercriminals seek to take advantage of the large amount of information handled in the country, whether for financial purposes, to obtain personal data or to expand their criminal operations.
Main challenges
Durán stressed that, although Costa Rica has made progress in cyber protection after the attacks suffered in recent years, important challenges still persist, such as:
- Maintaining a sustained investment in technology and infrastructure for cybersecurity.
- Training new professionals specialized in cybersecurity, a pending debt at the country level.
- Reinforcing public-private and international cooperation.
- Raising awareness among citizens, who continue to be the weakest link in the protection chain.
“End users are the most exposed, as they are often unaware of the threats or do not have the tools to protect themselves,” said Durán, while insisting on the importance of cybersecurity education, both to identify risks and to apply preventive measures.
Recommendations
Durán emphasized some essential actions for people to reduce their exposure, among which he insisted:
- Keep devices updated.
- Use strong passwords and activate multifactor authentication.
- Verify the authenticity of websites, especially when making transactions.
- Identify the most vulnerable points in your digital interaction and reinforce your security.
“In such a digitalized environment, protecting ourselves is a shared responsibility,” concluded Durán, indicating that while technological progress provides great opportunities, it also forces us to always be one step ahead of cybercriminals.
