Mexico has Only Four Cyber Cops per Every 1 Million People: CMD

Mexico has a specialized body to combat cybercrime, but its capacity is limited, with only four agents per every 1 million inhabitants, reveals Centro México Digital’s (CMD) State Digital Development Index (IDDE) 2024. This figure contrasts with the sustained growth of digital incidents reported in the country, which poses challenges for national digital security.

"Cyber police should take on greater relevance in a context where digital crimes are increasing rapidly," says Alberto Farca, Vice President of Projects, CMD. However, existing legal and police structures make it difficult to incorporate specialized personnel, he adds.

The accelerated rise of digitalization has generated new criminal modalities that affect governments, companies, and citizens. According to the IDDE 2024, Mexico has police forces dedicated to crimes such as fraud, extortion, identity theft, sexual exploitation, and cyberstalking, among others. However, this number is insufficient given the magnitude of cyber incidents. 

The National Survey on Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Households (ENDUTIH) 2023, prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), indicates that 148,370 reports of digital incidents were recorded in 2023, representing an increase of 6.4% over the previous year. In addition, it is considered that many cases are not officially reported, so the actual figure could be higher.

The CMD study highlights regional disparities in the distribution of cyber police. For example, Jalisco, one of the most digitally active states in the country, does not have specialized police forces. Despite this, digital platforms have been found to be used for recruitment by criminal groups. A clandestine monitoring center with advanced infrastructure for connection to telecommunications networks was also detected in the state.

According to Fortinet Labs' Global Threat Report 2025, Mexico received 324 billion cyberattack attempts during 2024. These threats were exacerbated by the intensive use of AI and automated tools by malicious actors. Cybercriminals are accelerating their efforts to operate at unprecedented levels of speed and scale, says Derek Manky, Head of Security Strategy and Global VP of Threat Intelligence, FortiGuard Labs. A well-trained cyber police force could be a key player against these constant digital threats.

However, the specialization of personnel remains a major challenge. At the federal and state level, the integration of cyber police is limited by regulations traditionally focused on analog crimes, reports Expansión. This complicates the updating and specialization of the police force in line with the rapid evolution of technologies and criminal tactics.