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OAS and Amazon Web Services Team Up for Increased Cybersecurity for North American and Latin American Citizens, Businesses and Governments

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) today published their first joint "white paper," in which they call for action for the protection of citizens, the private sector and governments. With this document, the first of a joint-series, and other initiatives that will be developed this year, both organizations seek to raise the level of awareness of government leaders, the private sector and society in general, about the importance of cybersecurity.

Under the title "A call to action to protect citizens, the private sector and the Government," the document incorporates 56 concrete actions covering broad areas such as citizenship and the private sector, critical infrastructure operators, government and public administrations, cyber defense and the fight against cybercrime, among others. It also includes recommendations aimed at boosting entrepreneurship and generating talent, not only as strategic elements for cybersecurity in each country, but also as opportunities for growth and development.

The report also incorporates a methodology that covers seven phases for the development of national cybersecurity strategies, which today is considered as a fundamental element of the social and economic stability of any nation, and which can also contribute to generating confidence, facilitating economic and industrial growth. Additionally, the document points out the importance of centering cybersecurity within multilateral and transversal cooperation in the face of a global threat that transcends borders.

The Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro, said that "cybersecurity is today, and very appropriately so, among the priorities of the agenda of all the leaders of the Hemisphere. It is essential to start generating proposals and content that facilitate decision-making regarding cybersecurity. The document that we present today contributes substantively to this production of useful content for the countries of the Americas, and we hope that it will be the first of a long and fruitful collaboration between the OAS and Amazon Web Services."

The publication acknowledges the contribution of Miguel Rego, one of the founders, and until 2016, General Director of the National Cybersecurity Institute of Spain (INCIBE). In the upcoming months, the OAS and AWS will launch a further publication that seeks to provide greater understanding of "cyber risk," as well as other documents aimed at increasing the level of awareness among the public and business leaders throughout the region.

For more information, you can access the document here.

Contacts for media:

Rachel Bartels
Latam Senior PR Manager AWS
[email protected] 

Segio Alfredo Vega
Jeffrey Group
[email protected] 

Miguel Angel Cañada
Press Officer
[email protected]

Reference: E-015/18