Technology
Bogotá Launches Free Cybersecurity Program for Small Businesses With Kaspersky
A new wave of public-private initiatives aims to shield the capital's fast-growing digital economy from rising cyber threats.
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Bogotá's Mayor's Office has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with cybersecurity firm Kaspersky to boost digital literacy, share threat intelligence, and protect critical infrastructure, the company announced. The deal marks one of the most significant public-private cybersecurity pacts for the city as it grapples with a 25% increase in cybercrime reports between 2020 and 2021.
Free protection for small businesses
The Bogotá Chamber of Commerce has launched a free, unlimited cybersecurity protection program for small and medium enterprises. The initiative covers five stages: USB usage, password authentication, software patching, phishing prevention, and cloud security. It's a direct response to the vulnerability of SMEs, which make up the backbone of the local economy but often lack resources to defend against digital attacks.
The chamber also released a free guide titled 'Guía de Pymes Ciberseguras' in September 2023, aimed at giving small business owners practical knowledge to protect their online operations.
Citywide incident response and training push
Bogotá's District High TIC Office is building the CSIRT Distrital, a dedicated incident response team to monitor and manage cyber threats across city systems. The office has set a goal of training 100% of district officials in digital security by the end of this year, covering topics like ethical hacking and social engineering.
As part of the push, technical vulnerability assessments have already been conducted for 60% of public entities, according to district officials. The city is also developing a broader data security and protection plan for all government bodies.
On August 14, Bogotá will host the Symposium 'Cybersecurity as a Confidence Driver in Telecommunications' at a venue to be announced. The event aims to rally public and private sector leaders around the growing digital risk landscape.
For Bogotá's tech community, home to 110,580 technology jobs, a 30% increase since 2019, and 740 startups, these protections couldn't come soon enough. The city now ranks among the top five tech employment hubs in Latin America, with salaries surging 83% over five years. As more businesses and citizens go digital, the new initiatives offer a practical roadmap for staying safe online.