US Government, INTEC and AENOR train energy sector professionals in cybersecurity
SANTO DOMINGO.- The United States Government, through its Agency for International Development (USAID), the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) and the AENOR certification body, they successfully completed the Diploma in Cybersecurity for the Energy Sector, through which they provided professionals in the sector with crucial knowledge and tools to guarantee the cyber security and resilience before potential attacks on the electrical system.
El SCHEDULE had a duration of three months and was taught by teachers specialized in areas such as renewable energy, digital transformation, the regulation and regulations of the electric sector and risk management. The 30 professionals who took the program belong to key institutions for the electricity sector and the country's national security, including the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), the Superintendence of Electricity (SIE), the Coordinating Body of the National Interconnected Electrical System (OC-SENI), the Dominican Electricity Transmission Company (ETED), the National Energy Commission (CNE), the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cybersecurity and Intelligence Center (C5i) of the Armed forces and Southern Electricity Distribution Company (Edesur).
El Minister of Energy and Mines, Antonio Almonte, said that USAID has a long history of cooperation in the country, mainly regarding the electricity sector. He added that "the holding of a diploma course with these cybersecurity characteristics and specifically in the electrical sector, at this university, indicates attention to new phenomena that have immediate impact on fundamental sectors of a country, which require the creation of capabilities to be able to assimilate it, address it and solve it efficiently”
El Academic Vice-Rector of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, Arturo del Villar, assured that “the program has been essential to train professionals in the sector in knowledge and judicial tools to guarantee cybersecurity and resilience against potential attacks on the electrical system.” He specified that for three months the participants received specialized training given by teachers in key areas such as renewable energy, digital transformation, regulation and standards of the electricity sector and risk management.
Del Villar thanked the collaboration of USAID and the Ministry of Energy and Mines for making the completion of the diploma possible, which demonstrates the commitment to development and security in the Dominican Republic. “This program has laid the foundations for the construction of a more resilient energy sector adapted to the digital challenges of the 21st century,” he argued.
Furthermore, the director of USAID in the Dominican Republic, Rebecca Latorraca, said that this academic program “has not only provided knowledge and skills, but has also laid the foundation for building a more resilient energy sector adapted to the digital challenges of the 21st century.” In addition, he added that the diploma demonstrates the commitment of the people of the United States to “work alongside the Dominican people in building a prosperous and safe country, where technology is not a threat, but a tool for progress and sustainability. ”
The diploma included a training module for leading auditor of the ISO 27001 standard on information security, taught by the Spanish certification company AENOR. During this training, taught by Mexican expert Ana Hevia Nava, participants acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leading auditors in information security management systems, in accordance with the ISO 27001:2013 standard. Attendees explored the content of the standard and the foundations and components of an Information Security Management System (ISMS), including its planning and implementation. This knowledge will serve as the basis for the certification of institutions in the electricity sector in the standard, with the support of USAID.
Representing AENOR, Evelyn Castillo highlighted the relevance of this training, pointing out that "At AENOR we are committed to the Dominican Republic so that it continues to increase its confidence by building reliable organizations and contributing to the high-level training of its teams." Likewise, she emphasized in that "this ISO 27001 Lead Auditor module is a key piece in strengthening security in the energy sector and the protection of sensitive information."
The closing ceremony of the academic program included a conference on the most relevant cybersecurity trends for the Dominican energy sector, given by Magín Ferreiro, Senior Vice President of Innovation Business Lines at the technology consulting company iQtek.
The Diploma in Cybersecurity for the Energy Sector emerged as a response and follow-up to the needs and priorities in the area of cybersecurity identified by government entities in the Forum on Cybersecurity in the Energy Sector held in December 2022 and in the Energy Resilience Working Group , in which ministries and institutions linked to energy, the environment, trade and security of the Dominican Republic participate.
Charly De la Rosa, director of the USAID Project for the Reform of the Energy Sector, assured that this training will serve as a basis for the certification of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the Superintendence of Electricity and the Coordinating Body in the ISO 27001 standard, with the active participation of the beneficiaries of the academic program. “In addition, based on the work carried out by the participants of the diploma, USAID will collaborate with entities in the energy sector in the development of a cybersecurity roadmap, which will address the specific challenges of the Dominican energy sector and establish measures to strengthen the cyber resilience throughout the energy supply chain,” he added.
About the USAID Energy Sector Reform project
The USAID Energy Sector Reform project promotes the self-sufficiency of thirteen Caribbean countries by strengthening the performance of their energy systems. By strengthening the energy sector in the region, the project helps Caribbean nations increase their energy independence, develop productive and diverse economies, and strengthen their capacity to address climate and market changes. The Energy Sector Reform is part of the Partnership between the United States and the Caribbean to Address the Climate Crisis 2030 (PACC 2030), promoting the strategic objectives of energy security and climate adaptation.