Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
One of the main projects of the Colombian Ministry of Defense, the unmanned aerial system (UAS) Quimbaya, 100 percent Colombian military technology, is about to conclude operational tests to begin surveillance, border control, and crime-fighting missions. “The system is currently in the fourth phase. We are finishing tests [...] of military integration and operation with the Colombian Air Force [FAC],”…
Relentless Russian cyberattacks have given way to a hybrid war in Ukraine, a recent Microsoft report finds. “The [cyber]attacks not only degraded the systems of institutions in Ukraine, but have also sought to disrupt people’s access to reliable information and critical life services on which civilian depend, and have attempted to shake confidence in the country’s leadership,” the report says.…
The Costa Rican government declared a state of emergency on May 8, following cyberattacks by the Russian Conti ransomware gang “on more than 20 public institutions and more than a dozen high-profile private institutions,” Esteban Jiménez, chief technology officer of the Costa Rican cybersecurity firm Atticyber, told Diálogo. The Ministry of Finance’s digital services have been down since April 18.…
“In traditional military operations we need to be able to shoot, move, and communicate. We need to identify key positions, know the terrain and know enemy capabilities. Cybersecurity is the same concept,” said Chief Warrant Officer Three Luis D. Nieves, a U.S. Army cyber defender assigned to the U.S. Army 915th Cyber Warfare Battalion. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nieves was…
BRASILIA, Brazil–Three New York Air National Guard airmen spent April 18 to 25 sharing their knowledge of space operations and their organization with Brazilian airmen assigned to that country’s Aerospace Operations Command. The visit by the New York airmen, assigned to the 222nd Command and Control Squadron, was the latest exchange under the State Partnership Program agreement the New York…
In late March, the Brazilian Army (EB) signed a cooperation agreement with CySource, a cybersecurity company founded by Israeli Defense Forces veterans, to train military personnel. The training will include attack simulation for risk prevention and mitigation and threat monitoring, harmful software analysis, network fundamentals, cyber incident responses, digital forensics, and penetration testing of critical systems. The partnership with EB…
Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano said March 12 that 20 drones have been put into operation to guarantee security, protect civilians, and dismantle armed criminal groups in the Arauca department. The rivalry between dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish) and the National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish) for the control of illegal economies in Arauca…
U.S. Army General James Dickinson, commander of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) is committed to several lines of effort as the command drives toward full operational capability, including strengthening relationships, attracting new partners, and building and maintaining a competitive advantage. Gen. Dickinson spoke with Diálogo about his partnership with nations within U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, and the security…
“We call on Russia [...] to stop its disinformation campaign and cyberattacks,” said European Union Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Olof Skoog, during a speech at the U.N. Extraordinary Assembly on February 28, 2022. As Russian tanks breached the Ukrainian border in the early hours of February 24, hundreds of computers from the Ukrainian Parliament, government agencies, and banks…
Russia has shown itself to be an aggressive cyber actor, launching cyberattacks against democratic states, such as the United States, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. On January 14, 2022, Ukraine accused Russian “cyber troops” of being behind the massive cyberattack against several of its government agencies, Voice of America reported. The attack hit various Ukrainian ministries, including the Security and…
The Chilean Air Force’s (FACh, in Spanish) FASat-Charlie satellite has doubled its projected lifespan by completing 10 years of operation. Launched into orbit on December 16, 2011, the Chilean satellite, built by Airbus Defence and Space, put Chile at the forefront of space presence in Latin America, becoming a milestone in space development for the country and an essential tool…
The Electronic Warfare Training Center (CIGE, in Portuguese) of the Brazilian Army (EB, in Portuguese) held the fifth International Cyber Defense Workshop for officers of partner nations in Brasília, November 29–December 10, 2021. The activity, promoted by EB’s Cyber Defense Command, was attended by service members from nine countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Peru. According…
