Cybersecurity threats impact Latin American retail and drive demand for experts

A study by Kaspersky indicates that cybersecurity threats are significantly impacting the retail sector in Latin America. Approximately 36% of surveyed retail organizations reported financial losses following their most severe cybersecurity incident in the last year, while 33% experienced disruptions to business processes such as human resources, finance, or legal affairs.

Beyond financial and operational impacts, 30% of companies reported the theft of intellectual property or research and development data, and another 30% suffered reputational damage. Key vulnerabilities identified include a lack of centralized control over IT infrastructure (40%), the use of outdated software or hardware (31%), and business decisions made without considering IT security implications (29%).

In response to these threats, 79% of organizations in the region plan to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities over the next 12 months. This trend is expected to increase the demand for specialized professionals, potentially intensifying an existing talent shortage where companies often struggle to fill specialized roles for more than six months.