Guatemala's Cybersecurity Under Attack: A Tale of Espionage and Denial

The U.S. embassy in Guatemala revealed that China-based espionage groups hacked the Central American nation's foreign ministry. The Guatemalan government dismissed the claim as an old case from 2022. President Arevalo acknowledged active threats and ongoing cybersecurity exercises. U.S. officials label China's regional influence as malign.

In a recent revelation, the U.S. embassy in Guatemala accused China-based espionage groups of hacking into Guatemala's foreign ministry systems. While the embassy highlighted the hacking as a part of a joint safety revision with the U.S. Southern Command, Guatemala's response was one of denial, citing the incident as outdated from September 2022.

President Bernardo Arevalo, during a cybersecurity exercise attended by U.S. and Taiwanese officials, acknowledged that the nation is under 'active threats.' He noted that hostile hacker groups from the People's Republic of China are attempting to breach the national cyber system.

Amidst these claims, the role of China in Latin America is in the spotlight as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, visiting Panama, described China as a 'malign influence' in the region, particularly regarding the Panama Canal, amid false claims about Chinese operations there.

(With inputs from agencies.)