Cybersecurity initiatives strengthen public and private sector procurement in Latin America

In Chile, ChileCompra has introduced its first cybersecurity directive for public procurement, providing 17 standardized clauses to be included in state contracts. These clauses address risks such as data confidentiality, incident notification, secure data deletion, and audit requirements. Alongside this directive, the agency announced a coordinated purchase of Extended Detection and Response (XDR) licenses to protect government workstations and servers, with registration open until November 2.

In Colombia, the security software firm Genetec Inc. has released a technical guide to help companies audit hardware and connected system providers. This initiative responds to shifting international standards, such as the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act, which emphasizes vulnerability management throughout a device's lifecycle. The guide aims to prevent security hardware, such as biometric controls and IoT panels, from becoming entry points for cybercriminals due to a lack of firmware updates and long-term support.