Paraguay's Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (Mitic) has acknowledged a critical shortage of specialized cybersecurity technicians, a problem that became evident following a cyberattack attributed to China several weeks ago. The attack was neutralized last Friday by a joint action between Paraguayan and U.S. forces.
Pedro Martínez, Director General of Cybersecurity at Mitic, stated that short-term measures have been implemented to combat new threats but warned that attacks, whether from state actors or economically motivated hackers, are likely to continue. He highlighted the technical support and expertise provided by the U.S. Embassy as fundamental to the effective response to the incident.
Martínez explained that there is an extremely high demand for qualified cybersecurity professionals, who are predominantly absorbed by the private sector due to more attractive salaries. While public sector salaries for operational positions are around 12 million guaranis, in the private sector the average remuneration for similar positions ranges between 12 and 18 million guaranis, and can reach over 1 billion guaranis monthly for leadership roles in multinational companies.
The imbalance in the distribution of qualified labor between the public and private sectors leaves government entities more vulnerable. The financial sector is cited as an example of an industry that invests heavily in secure infrastructure from the conception of projects.
For its part, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that cyber defense training with the United States Southern Command is a permanent cooperation. One of the next objectives of the Armed Forces is the creation of a Joint Cyber Defense Command, with the mission of protecting national cyberspace through surveillance, prevention, response, and recovery operations.