Uruguay to Establish State Channel for Cybercrime Victims, Starting with WhatsApp Account takeovers
Uruguay is moving to address a critical gap in its cybersecurity infrastructure: a centralized point of contact for citizens experiencing cybercrime, especially the increasingly common theft of WhatsApp accounts. Currently, individuals whose accounts are compromised – leading to identity theft and fraudulent requests for money – have no clear government resource to turn to.
This lack of a dedicated channel was highlighted by Fabiana Santellán, Management of Management and Audit of details Security at AGESIC (Electronic Government Agency and Information and Knowledge Society of Uruguay). She identified resolving this issue as a priority within the framework of the new national cybersecurity strategy.
“When a person, any of us, has an incident, there really is not a single place that I can go and say, such a thing happened to me,” Santellán stated during her speech at the AT Cybersecurity Summit. she illustrated the problem with a frequent scenario: “They stole the WhatsApp account, what do I do?”
AGESIC and CERTUY (the Uruguayan Computer Emergency Response team) are currently collaborating on the progress of a “State Initial Care Center.” This center will serve as a first point of contact for individuals affected by cybercrimes or digital vulnerabilities.the initiative stems from the national Cybersecurity Strategy, approved in 2023, which prioritizes a people-centered approach. This includes incorporating citizens into the state’s digital protection system, offering specific support for incident response, not just as end-users.
The planned channel will function as “A point of consultation” to coordinate responses to citizen incidents. It will not replace existing judicial or police procedures, but will instead provide “ORIENTATION, PERFORMATION AND INITIAL CONTENTION” – offering clear and standardized information. AGESIC and CERTUY are working with Home Office to coordinate timelines, mechanisms, and reporting processes, aiming to “Adjust some times and mechanisms for the answer to be articulated.”
Further bolstering Uruguay’s cybersecurity capabilities, the national strategy also includes the creation of a Digital Forensics Laboratory. this lab will enhance the nation’s capacity to investigate and analyze complex cyber incidents, complementing the new citizen care channel.
