Neutralizing Attackers Delivers Real Long-Term Security: Group-IB

Group-IB, founded in 2003, is a leading developer of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and combat digital crime globally.

Q: How does Group-IB define its value proposition against competitors who prioritize automation or mass monitoring over threat intelligence? 

A: To effectively protect any organization, we must be acutely aware of the real threats active within their specific region, country, and industry. Unlike many cybersecurity vendors who focus heavily on their home markets, we recognized years ago that effective defense requires a "glocal" strategy. We have replicated our infrastructure to establish a physical presence in key regions, including Latin America, where we deploy technical experts and researchers rather than just sales teams. This allows us to conduct localized research, build an accurate threat landscape, and deliver services that are adapted to the local language, culture, and specific attack vectors relevant to the Mexican and Latin American markets.

Q: Why does Group-IB follow this specific approach into threat intelligence and research? 

A: Relying solely on detection is akin to a never-ending game where stopping one attack only invites the next attempt from the same persistent actor. Despite the evolution of security technologies, the volume and impact of incidents continue to rise annually, proving that merely closing security gaps is necessary but insufficient. Our philosophy focuses on identifying and neutralizing the threat actors themselves because technology allows us to win time, but true long-term protection requires stopping the adversary behind the keyboard.

Q: Latin America has seen a notable increase in the volume and sophistication of attacks. What role does the region play in Group-IB's global strategy, and how do its operations adapt to the local digital maturity context? 

A: Latin America is distinct in its demand for a unified security approach rather than isolated point solutions. Our enterprise clients require a holistic view of their network perimeter, cloud infrastructure, and brand reputation to protect both their business and their consumers effectively. Furthermore, the region is highly advanced in terms of the development of unique attack tools and frameworks by local "protectors" or threat actors. Consequently, we adapt our operations to counter these specifically localized techniques and criminal syndicate structures.

Q: Group-IB's operational decentralization through its Digital Crime Resistance Centers is an uncommon model in the sector. What specific advantages does this structure offer customers, and how does it impact response speed to regional threats?

A: A Digital Crime Resistance Center is not merely an office; it is a replica of our core technical DNA, combining digital forensics, incident response, and cyber investigation capabilities. By integrating these functions with our Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and anti-fraud analysts, we create a synergy that allows us to track a threat, profile the actor, and detect fraud simultaneously. This decentralized structure facilitates rapid response and enables knowledge sharing across regions, as emerging threats detected in Asia can inform our defensive strategies in Latin America months before they arrive locally.

Q: What kind of partnerships does Group-IB have with local governments and law enforcement agencies? 

A: We operate on the principle that behind every cyberattack is a motivated human, and to truly mitigate risk, we must identify and stop that individual. Our Cyber Investigations team prioritizes threat actors posing the greatest risk to our clients and citizens, sharing technical evidence with law enforcement agencies like Interpol to facilitate investigations and arrests. Beyond identification, we collaborate globally to dismantle criminal infrastructure and trace illicit financial flows, effectively limiting the resources criminals can reinvest into their operations.

Q: What is the main value that your Unified Risk Platform offers customers in terms of operational efficiency and ROI? 

A: Our platform integrates three critical domains: cybersecurity, brand protection, and fraud prevention. Since threat actors use interchangeable tools for hacking and fraud, organizations require a unified solution to obtain a complex, end-to-end picture of the attack lifecycle. This integration enhances operational efficiency by allowing fragmented internal teams — such as network security and fraud departments — to collaborate within a single digital space, significantly improving detection, response, and data processing capabilities while eliminating blind spots.

Q: What kind of support does Group-IB provide to its clients' internal security teams? 

A: We offer comprehensive support starting with consulting services to help clients build their own Security Operations Centers and threat intelligence programs tailored to future threats. Beyond technical training for analysts, we conduct tabletop exercises for management teams — including legal, PR, and executives — to simulate crisis collaboration and decision making. Finally, we validate these capabilities through Red Teaming exercises that simulate real-world attack techniques relevant to the specific region and industry to identify any remaining operational gaps.

Q: What new methodologies or technologies are most effective for detecting fraud in real time without affecting the user experience? 

A: As traditional transactional monitoring and "Know Your Customer" protocols are increasingly bypassed, the most effective solution is behavioral anti-fraud analysis that detects account takeovers based on user interaction patterns. Furthermore, the rise of instant payments necessitates real-time information sharing across the financial ecosystem to stop fraud before money is lost. We facilitate this through technologies that enable the secure, anonymized exchange of sensitive data, allowing the industry to collaboratively detect and prevent fraudulent infrastructure without violating privacy regulations.

Q: AI is redefining both defense and offense in cybersecurity. In your experience, what is the right balance between automation and human oversight to maintain digital resilience? 

A: While fraudsters have rapidly adopted AI to create convincing deepfakes, its use in complex cyberattacks is in the early stages, though we anticipate it becoming a major threat within two years. The cybersecurity industry is integrating AI to automate responses and match the speed of future attacks, but it is crucial to remember that AI is a tool requiring vast data and integration, not a magic solution. The right balance involves using AI to handle the complexity and volume of data while maintaining expert oversight to manage the overall security strategy.

Q: Nearshoring is driving the installation of data centers and industrial plants in Mexico and the region. What are the main cybersecurity risks that companies relocating operations to Latin America should anticipate? 

A: The primary risk for companies relocating operations is the lack of infrastructure redundancy, or "putting all eggs in one basket." If a ransomware attack or political incident cripples a single data center, the resulting digital outage can disrupt operations for weeks. Organizations must prioritize building redundant infrastructure and backup data centers to ensure that critical services remain operational even if the primary site is compromised.

Q: What specific goals are you pursuing in Latin America for 2026, and how will the regional operation be integrated into the company's global ecosystem? 

A: Our strategy through 2026 focuses on deepening our investment in local research teams to provide expertise that is genuinely relevant to the Latin American market. Simultaneously, we are driving the adoption of automated technologies that allow organizations to streamline operations and manage complex security stacks efficiently. Ultimately, our success will be measured by shifting the industry paradigm from a reactive posture to a preemptive approach, where we predict and neutralize threat actor campaigns before they impact our clients.