All institutions of the national electricity sector They will have to create a “Cyber and Information Security Operational Unit” that will be tasked with controlling and preventing cyberattacks, as well as protecting digital information assets and “achieving efficient digital operational resilience.”
This is established by the “Cyber and Information Security Regulations for the Electric Sector in the Dominican Republic”, which was socialized yesterday by the Superintendency of Electricity (SIE) during a public hearing headed by the superintendent Andres Astacio.
During the activity, in which there were no discussions, Astacio explained that the regulation will serve as a basis for designing the protocol that will guide the institutions that make up the National Interconnected Electric System to strengthen their cybersecurity and defend themselves from cyber threats.
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After recalling that only in 2023 were registered More than 1 billion cyberattack attempts In the country, Astacio highlighted the importance of identifying and determining a clear protocol so that all those involved in the electrical sector know what to do before, during and after the occurrence of a cyber attack.
“In this process, in which the robustness of the network requires, among other things, the penetration of new technologies that vitalize and make it more efficient, it becomes more urgent and a priority to define clear criteria for action in the face of the subsequent risks of this digitalization process,” explained Astacio.
By providing more details on the Cyber Security Operations Unit and Information, the cybersecurity manager of the SIE, Joel Jiménez, explained that it will be made up of a team of technicians who will respond to possible threats and attacks.
The Unit, he noted, will also have to carry out rigorous monitoring and operation procedures on a regular basis. In addition, it will be obliged to report all cyber incidents to the appropriate channels.
He also pointed out that the regulations also include a sanctioning regime that includes fines and penalties for those who fail to comply with the protocol and put the structure of the most critical system in the country at risk.
