In a collaborative effort showcasing international and national partnerships, the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications (MICITT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship (MREC), the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the GCSCC have launched an CMM review to assess Costa Rica’s cybersecurity capacity maturity. The CMM was conducted alongside a separate case study by the GCSCC investigating the impacts and lessons learned from Costa Rica's 2022 ransomware attacks. Both studies will be finalised in 2025.
Paula Bogantes, Minister of MICITT, said that this study is an important milestone in the national commitment to strengthen Costa Rica's cybersecurity capabilities:
The CMM model, developed by international experts, will allow us to assess our level of maturity in cybersecurity and establish clear priorities to improve our strategies and policies in this area.
The MREC stated that the activity is based on the growing relevance of cyber diplomacy in the current context and has as its main objective to determine the country's state of maturity in cybersecurity, in order to subsequently strengthen the cyber capabilities of national authorities:
This event represents a significant step towards strengthening Costa Rica's cyber capabilities and reaffirms the country's commitment to digital security and international cooperation.
The study comprises five dimensions, which constitute the capacity that a country requires to be effective in the provision of cybersecurity: the development of cybersecurity policies and strategies, the promotion of responsible cybersecurity culture and society, the development of knowledge and capabilities, the creation of effective legal and regulatory frameworks, and the control of risks through standards and technologies. The GCSCC works closely with the FCDO and other international partners to deploy the CMM in countries across the world interested in better understanding their existing cyber maturity.
According to British Ambassador Ben Lyster-Binns:
We are honoured to facilitate this review conducted by the world-class team of the Oxford GCSCC, in close coordination with the Government of Costa Rica and with contributions from key stakeholders. Together, we are committed to improving global cyber security
The Costa Rica CMM was coordinated with the World Bank, the United States Department of State, EU CyberNet and the Organization of American States (OAS). The CMM will inform the third regional CMM study conducted by the OAS expected in 2024.
If you want to learn more about the GCSCC's work in Costa Rica, please email us using: cybercapacity@cs.ox.ac.uk
