Thanks to the actions implemented by the National Cybersecurity Center (CNCS), under the guidance of the Minister of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, the Dominican Republic advanced 30 positions in the National Cybersecurity Index (NCSI), which measures the preparedness of countries to prevent threats and manage cyber incidents.
According to the report, the country reached a development level of 71% between 2022 and 2023, moving from 58th to 28th position in the ranking measured by the e-Governance Academy Foundation of the Republic of Estonia.
The evaluation involves 161 countries, which translates into significant progress for the Dominican nation in terms of cybersecurity. The country has the support of the public and private sectors.
The NCSI is also a database with publicly available evidence materials and a tool for the development of national cybersecurity capabilities, which is developed in five steps and focuses on measurable aspects implemented by the central government, such as current legislation, work units, cooperation formats and results.
CNCS director Juan Gabriel Gautreaux explained that moving up 30 positions and placing 28th in the ranking means that the Dominican Republic has improved substantially in terms of cybersecurity; it also indicates a strengthening of security measures and greater protection against cyber risks.
“This suggests that the country has implemented effective measures to protect its systems and data from cyber attacks, and that it has a good level of preparedness to deal with possible cybersecurity incidents, working, every day, for a safer, more reliable and resilient cyberspace,” said Gautreaux.
Referring to these measures, the CNCS director pointed out that the policies and programs that the Government has developed in terms of digital transformation, strengthen cybersecurity, such as the Digital Agenda 2030, the enactment of the new National Cybersecurity Strategy 2030, the strengthening of the National Cybersecurity Center and the National CSIRT as a dependency of the Ministry of the Presidency.
“As well as the implementation of mandatory incident notification, early warning mechanisms, threat intelligence sharing and a responsible disclosure policy established in decree 685-22,” Gautreaux specified.
He pointed out that also, the government has established alliances with international organizations to improve training, the CyberCapabilities Center for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC4) was established in the country, and exchanges of information on cybersecurity have been carried out through organizations such as FIRST and CSIRT Americas.
“Awareness campaigns have also been carried out to promote the adoption of secure online practices among citizens and companies,” he said.
Source: Listindiario.com
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