OAS and LACNIC Sign Cyber Security Agreement

Medellin, Wednesday May 8, 2013. The Organization of American States (OAS) through its Secretariat of Multidimensional Security (SMS) signed a cooperation agreement with the Latin America and Caribbean Internet Address Registry (LACNIC) to strengthen the initiatives that both organizations are developing on cyber security in the Americas.

Ambassador Adam Blackwell, the OAS Secretary of Multidimensional Security, said that "this agreement is another example of the commitment of the OAS General Secretariat to create synergies with other cyber security stakeholders in the Americas, which will have both hemispheric and global benefits. In the case of this new partnership with LACNIC, collaboration will help to further strengthen ties between governments, the private sector, civil society, and thus ensure a multidimensional approach to cyber security."

The Executive Director of LACNIC, Raul Echeberria, noted that "the growth of the Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean, with current penetration at 40% and more than 225 million users, presents new challenges, including cyber incidents and increasingly sophisticated hacking attempts that decrease the reliability of the internet. This agreement with the OAS is part of LACNIC's policy to work with the region's technical community to respond to and mitigate the impact of cyber incidents."

The agreement, which was signed during "LACNIC 19" in Medellin, Colombia, enables both institutions to exchange information regarding the planning and development of cyber security initiatives of mutual interest. The formal partnership will help promote efforts by the OAS related to its "Inter-American Comprehensive Cyber Security Strategy," and will allow the organizations to design joint actions regarding institutional cooperation and academic research. Ultimately, the OAS and LACNIC will seek to improve technical governmental capacities, improve coordination and strengthen educational initiatives for the safe and secure use of information technology in the Americas.