Taiwan is to help Guatemala bolster its cybersecurity by establishing operations centers in the Central American nation and providing information security training, sources said on Sunday.
Guatemala, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, is facing potential cybersecurity risks, after some major local banks commissioned the construction of their computer systems to China’s Huawei Technologies Co, which has been accused of providing backdoors for Chinese state-sponsored hackers to penetrate systems it has built, experts said.
US Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute professor Robert Evan Ellis, who specializes in Latin American studies, said in a recent interview with the Spanish-language news site Republica that Huawei is active in Guatemala, especially in telecom services and information technology.
Photo: Reuters
He said he was worried about a computer system Huawei installed for Banrural, one of Guatemala’s major banks.
The Guatemalan government might not be able to effectively safeguard the cybersecurity of government agencies and private companies, as it has neither the regulations nor the capabilities to defend against cyberattacks, making its communications infrastructure an easy target for hackers, Ellis said.
In Taipei, an official familiar with foreign affairs said that Huawei’s Central American headquarters is in Guatemala.
Given that Huawei’s 5G networks have been installed throughout Guatemala, as well as the company’s other communications infrastructure, Taiwan would help its ally strengthen its self-defense by establishing cybersecurity operations centers in the country and training cybersecurity talent, they said.
“Clean, reliable networks are the foundation for digital governance, and cybersecurity talent and capabilities are indispensable,” the official said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been preparing a group of officials, technical personnel and cybersecurity experts to visit Taiwan’s South and Central American allies to examine their information systems, they said.
Guatemala would be one of the delegation’s destinations, the official said, adding that Taiwan expects to build reliable networks jointly with its allies to defend against cybersecurity risks posed by Huawei’s systems.
The Republic of China (ROC) established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Guatemala in 1934. The country is one of Taiwan’s two diplomatic allies in Central America, along with Belize. They are among the 12 countries that have official diplomatic relations with the ROC.
Additional reporting by CNA
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