"INTERPOL Working Group Highlights Cyber Threats Across the Americas"

The changing digital landscape in the Americas has increased cybersecurity challenges and vulnerabilities. Countries throughout the region are now facing Business Email Compromise (BEC), online scams, ransomware, and more. Financially motivated groups have targeted organizations across Latin America, primarily with ransomware, and have broadened the scope of their operations. Latin America, for example, faced nearly three times the global average of mobile browser attacks in the first half of 2020. In April 2022, Costa Rica was the target of large-scale ransomware attacks launched by the Conti cybercrime group. The cyberattack began in the Costa Rican ministry of finance and eventually involved 27 different ministries in a series of interconnected attacks. Conti's action crippled parts of Costa Rica's digital infrastructure for months, disrupting public healthcare and the pay of some public sector workers. Telecom Argentina, one of Argentina's largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs), also experienced a significant ransomware attack involving about 18,000 computers in 2020. In this case, hackers demanded a $7.5 million ransom, preventing employees from accessing databases and internal Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). The 7th INTERPOL Americas Working Group on Cybercrime met in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from September 12 to 16, to assess regional threats and trends. Over 90 people attended the meeting, representing 32 member countries, four international organizations, and 13 public and private entities. The Group discussed the Global Cybercrime Strategy 2022-2025, which will be released later this year. This strategy will increase understanding of the cybercrime threat and improve capabilities for preventing, detecting, investigating, and disrupting cyberattacks. Other topics of discussion included cyber response initiatives, cryptocurrency investigation, emerging cyber threats in the Americas, and information sharing. This article continues to discuss the recent INTERPOL meeting on threats and cyber trends in the Americas. 

HSToday reports "INTERPOL Working Group Highlights Cyber Threats Across the Americas"