In 1999, the Escuela Latinoamericana de Redes (EsLaRed) offered, for the first time, a training activity on “internet security” as part of its annual workshop. The trainer was at the time one of EsLaRed’s young collaborators, Reinaldo Mayol, and the aim of the activity was to instruct participants from Latin America and the Caribbean on the techniques required to protect data content transmitted on the internet. Back in those days, security was considered important but not vital.
Since 2012, the vulnerability of internet content has been widely demonstrated, and protecting data online has become crucial, as evidenced by the increasing coverage of the topic in the literature and the media. In 2013, EsLaRed’s efforts were acknowledged by one of the most prestigious institutions dedicated to information and communications security in Spain. Red Seguridad (Security Net) granted one of its annual awards to EsLaRed recognising a job well done by its instructors, who have been the true protagonists of the training over the years.