SANTO DOMINGO. - As part of its commitment to cybersecurity education and a culture of continuous prevention, Banco Popular Dominicano presented the actions it will develop during Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2025, throughout the coming weeks of October, aimed at clients, SMEs, employees and other stakeholders.
As a first initiative, the financial organization held a specialized webinar for journalists and communicators, entitled "Cybersecurity for journalists: how to protect your work and avoid spreading fake news.".
This training day brought together media professionals interested in strengthening their knowledge of digital threats and good security practices.
During the session, the main cyber risks faced by journalists in their daily work were presented, including identity theft, hoaxes supported by misuse of artificial intelligence, as well as various attacks linked to social engineering, such as malware, smishing and phishing.
Participants received guidance on how to protect themselves against these risks and how to contribute to a culture of verification within the media ecosystem. The talk was given by Mr. Diego Laverde, Vice President of Information Security at Banco Popular.
Inter-university cybersecurity competition
In addition to this activity, Banco Popular will sponsor the country's first inter-university cybersecurity competition, a "Capture the Flag" event, in early October. Organized by Pentraze Cybersecurity and the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA), this competition, which involves students from a dozen universities, is designed to evaluate technical skills in various areas of cybersecurity.
A month of digital education and prevention
Also this October, talks will be held for the financial organization's suppliers, including a specialized webinar for technology developers. A conference for students at ISA University in Santiago and participation in professional panels will also be offered, among other activities.
Similarly, the bank will promote valuable content such as articles from the Popular Blog, customer campaigns, social media posts, and the podcast “Red Alert: We’ve been hacked!”, a fictional audio series that simulates various types of cyberattacks on small businesses with the aim of illustrating some of the risky practices to which this group is exposed.
About Cybersecurity Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month originated in the United States in 2004, by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA), as an initiative to educate the public about the risks and the importance of protecting themselves in the digital environment.
Over time, it spread to other countries and regions, taking on a global character and has become a collaborative effort involving governments, the private sector, and cybersecurity experts to promote best practices in online security.
