NATIONAL CONTEXT
As in most countries, the use of information and communication technologies in
Mexico has increased in recent years thanks to the development of the
telecommunications sector, the promotion of private investment, and economic and
political stability in the international sphere; in addition to the public policies and the
institutional and legal framework that favor Mexico’s digitalization.
This widespread use and the different economic, political and sociocultural factors
have led to the fact that in Mexico, according to data of the National Institute of
Statistics and Geography (INEGI, for short in Spanish)21: during the second quarter of
2016, 59.5% of the population aged six or more declared being an Internet user. 68.5%
of Mexican Internet users are younger than 35 years old. 47.0% of households in the
country have Internet connection. Internet use is associated with higher levels of
education: at higher education level, higher Internet use. Internet is used mainly as
a means of communication, to obtain information in general and for the consumption
of audiovisual content. Cellular phone users represent 73.6% of the population aged
six years or older, and three of every four users have a smartphone.
Within the framework of the 2013-2018 National Development Plan, in the 2013-2018
Program for an Approachable and Modern Government, the National Digital Strategy
was established with the purpose of promoting the digitalization of Mexico, through
actions such as: digital government, open data, inclusion and digital skills, health and
education services through ICTs, the use of ICTs in financial services, among others. It
is important to strengthen cybersecurity so that all public services, mainly digital and
people’s rights to them, are carried out without barriers, in a reliable and resilient
manner, with the aim of strengthening trust in ICT use and the relationship between
public institutions, among the private sector and society
During 2017, the private sector report called Cybersecurity Assessment in Mexico:
Gaps and Recommendations in a Hyper-Connected World produced some relevant
findings such as:22
●
21
The need to have a National Cybersecurity Agency to coordinate the strategy
that is being defined, and to create the critical governance path on the
Overview of Internet access and other ICTs in households. INEGI, 2017. Available at:
http://www.inegi.org.mx/saladeprensa/aproposito/2017/internet2017_Nal.pdf
22 Last October, the Mexican Chamber of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Technologies
(CANIETI), together with the Mexican Information Technology Industry Association (AMITI) and the
Mexican Internet Association, presented the results of the study called “Cybersecurity Assessment in
Mexico: Gaps and Recommendations in a Hyper-Connected World”, information available on CANIETI’s
Internet site: http://www.canieti.org/Comunicacion/prensa/boletinesdeprensa/Presentaindustria.aspx
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents