Universities and research centres are currently facing one of the greatest challenges of the digital age: protecting the knowledge, data and infrastructure that make education, science and innovation possible.
(Source: Galia Rivas, CEDIA) The question is no longer whether a cybersecurity incident will occur, but whether institutions have the necessary capabilities to detect it, contain it and recover in time.
In this context, National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) have taken on an increasingly strategic role, developing specialised teams and collaborative models that strengthen the digital resilience of their academic communities.
A recent example of this was seen during the 16th Regional Cyberdrill for the Americas, ‘From the Heart of the World’, organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in conjunction with Ecuador’s Ministry of Telecommunications and the Information Society (MINTEL) and the National Polytechnic School (EPN).
The exercise brought together specialist teams from various countries to tackle complex scenarios involving simulated cyber-attacks, assessing real-world capabilities in detection, analysis, coordination, response and recovery from incidents.
In this demanding environment, the SOC-CSIRT team from CEDIA, Ecuador’s National Research and Education Network, took first place in the technical exercises carried out during the event.
Behind this recognition lies much more than just a one-off result.
There is a highly specialised team comprising certified professionals who receive ongoing training in incident management, advanced monitoring, threat analysis, operational continuity and the protection of critical infrastructure. This team works daily to strengthen the security of Ecuador’s higher education and research institutions and has developed capabilities aligned with internationally recognised standards and best practices.
This achievement validates years of investment in human talent, technical specialisation and capacity-building, which today enable Ecuador’s academic sector to benefit from world-class cybersecurity services.
But it also demonstrates something even more important: that cooperation is one of the most powerful assets in tackling digital threats.
Cybersecurity has become a growing priority within the RedCLARA community and its member networks. A reflection of this is eduLACSeg, the regional initiative that brings together cybersecurity specialists and teams from various RNIEs to share experiences, strengthen capabilities and promote a more coordinated response to the challenges affecting higher education and research in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Through platforms such as eduLACSeg, academic networks are building a trusted regional community where knowledge, best practices and lessons learnt are transformed into concrete capabilities to protect thousands of students, researchers, lecturers and institutions.
The recognition received by CEDIA also serves as evidence of the impact that this collaborative vision can have. The capabilities that today enable an effective response to complex incidents are not built in isolation; they are the result of years of cooperation between specialists, institutions and networks that share a common purpose: to strengthen the digital resilience of the academic sector.
In an environment where threats are constantly evolving and attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, this experience offers a lesson for the entire region: protecting science, education and innovation requires technology, but above all it requires highly trained people, strong communities of practice and collaborative networks capable of acting together when they are needed most.
This is precisely the value that the RNIEs and RedCLARA continue to build for Latin America and the Caribbean.
