In August 2020, the US and Mexico established a working group and performed a first-of-its-kind dialogue relating to mutual cybersecurity considerations. Whereas the 2 international locations have been partnering to counter illicit drug trafficking for many years, solely just lately has actual progress been made associated to cybersecurity, as described within the State Division’s latest joint assertion. Given the evolving menace panorama lately, it’s exceptional it has taken so lengthy for this partnership to mature. What could also be faster to evolve is the non-public sector’s response to this new partnership as cybersecurity service suppliers acknowledge this bilateral cooperation as a profitable industrial alternative.
Reliance on Cross-Border Important Infrastructure
Maybe essentially the most vital strategic focus of this collaboration is the dedication to strengthening coordination and response to cyber incidents affecting vital infrastructures. Mexico and the US share interdependent economies, in addition to the danger of carefully associated vital infrastructure. Mexico constantly ranks among the many prime commerce companions for the US and in 2021 equipped 8% of US oil (by comparability, Saudi Arabia supplied 5%), based on the US Power Data Administration. US dependency on Mexican oil would thus, naturally, justify the safety and safety of that useful resource as a US nationwide safety curiosity.
Just like the US’s personal Colonial Pipeline compromise in 2021, Pemex (Mexico’s state-owned petroleum firm) skilled a ransom occasion in 2019. Fortuitously, the Pemex incident didn’t end in the identical disruption to providers because the Colonial matter did. Pemex’s incident does spotlight that Mexico’s infrastructure is a goal and that it’s also susceptible. Although the Pemex incident didn’t make vital waves for the US, a extra vital incident may trigger far higher financial penalties for Mexico and the US alike.
Advantages of Closing Vulnerabilities as Commerce Companions
As one of many US’s premier commerce companions and boundary sharing geographic neighbors, what’s dangerous for Mexico is dangerous for the US. Be it in telecom, the monetary sector, or any side of vital infrastructure and key assets, a disruption in Mexico would possible cross over and impression the US. Some of the efficient and self-beneficial methods for the US to guard in opposition to that is to put money into Mexico’s cybersecurity capabilities. In lots of circumstances, nation-state offensive operations view Mexico as a much less safe technological gateway into concentrating on the US. The comparatively weak cybersecurity posture in Mexico allows criminals to both exploit entities there or use compromised programs as proxies to focus on US entities.
Mexico can be seeing a rise in abroad factories relocating and organising manufacturing inside its borders. The Chinese language particularly view this as a strategic benefit because it reduces their total price in delivery bills in addition to export tariffs. Chinese language funding on this manner will undoubtedly require extra bandwidth, enlargement of IT associated infrastructure, and environment friendly connectivity again to China. Except for its implications to US nationwide safety, Mexico’s cybersecurity capabilities and associated infrastructure might want to mature to maintain tempo with this industrial and financial improvement.
With rising, more and more complicated inside cyber calls for, Mexico is probably going incapable of assembly these wants by itself and would profit from ready and skilled companions. US funding, each from the federal government and personal sector, in Mexico is extra a matter of investing in US pursuits, yielding advantages each economically and security-wise.
The US can be served properly if it benchmarked the mission and imaginative and prescient of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA) and invested in Mexico’s skill to “perceive, handle, and cut back danger” to Mexico’s cyber and bodily infrastructure. The near-term safety priorities funding must be maturing functionality supply, vulnerability administration, and cyber-defense schooling, and coaching.
Moreover, forward-thinking cybersecurity distributors will undoubtedly see this chance as an opportunity to capitalize on non-public sector demand, and probably authorities contracts as properly. It ought to come as no shock if the trade sees a flurry of exercise round establishing capabilities and assets to serve the market in Mexico. And by treating Mexico’s cybersecurity posture as vital as countering illicit medication, the US will improve its personal safety in the long term.
