Tailoring Cybersecurity to Latin America’s Needs

Q: How would you describe SMARTFENSE's position within the cybersecurity awareness solutions ecosystem in markets like Mexico and Latin America? 

A: We are a specialized provider with over 10 years of experience, focused exclusively on the Ibero-American market. As a pioneering cybersecurity awareness platform in the region, we address the cultural and behavioral gaps that Anglo-Saxon solutions overlook. Founded in Argentina, our strategy relies on regional integrator partners who adapt our platform and messaging to local business practices, enabling us to effectively support large-scale enterprises in Mexico with tailored, culturally relevant cybersecurity awareness solutions.

Q: Why is content regionalization important for awareness programs, especially in Latin America? 

A: Content regionalization is the cornerstone of our value proposition. We do not perform simple translations; we execute comprehensive regionalization. This is because a generic global message is ineffective for driving behavioral change in Latin America. The cultural context is unique and requires a platform built with flexibility at its core. Our local partners are instrumental in adapting content to the specific needs of each country and organization. They help us fine-tune the message, ensuring it is received authentically and prompts real engagement from users. This deep level of customization is our primary differentiator against large global competitors whose standardized catalogs often fail to connect with local audiences.

Q: How have the needs for awareness and reinforcement among your enterprise clients' users evolved and how has SMARTFENSE responded to these changes? 

A: In Latin America, securing budgets for awareness programs is challenging but results in stronger organizational commitment and longer program lifecycles. To align with evolving user behavior, we shifted from one-time training to continuous reinforcement, emphasizing micro-communications with short, timely messages and diverse content formats. In addition, SMARTFENSE enables real-time interventions when users are about to engage in risky behavior or have just made a mistake during a simulated attack. These real-time, contextual prompts increase learning retention by delivering feedback when it's most relevant. Altogether, these tools empower clients to tailor engagement strategies and accommodate varying attention spans and cultural specificities.

Q: What specific gaps in enterprise cybersecurity strategies does SMARTFENSE aim to fill that other awareness platforms do not effectively address? 

A: Our primary advantage over large global competitors is our unwavering focus on the Ibero-American market. We provide a more personal and effective experience because we are closer to our clients; a 50-person team with a regional focus can offer direct access to experts and faster adaptation to client needs — something a 5,000-employee multinational, with standardized processes and fragmented support, often cannot replicate. Compared to smaller local competitors, our platform offers superior scalability and a comprehensive feature set comparable to global leaders. It is a multi-use tool prepared to handle an organization with 100,000 users while maintaining the hyper-personalization the Latin American market demands.

Q: How does SMARTFENSE customize its content for critical sectors such as banking, healthcare, or manufacturing? 

A: Our platform supports multi-level customization depending on client size: small organizations typically use our core Latin America catalog, mid-sized firms collaborate with integrators for tailored content, and large enterprises customize directly with support from our team.
We also provide sector-specific catalogs — such as IT, industrial cybersecurity, and general users — and white-labeling features that significantly boost adoption by making the platform feel like an internal corporate initiative.
Additionally, we align our content with key regulations relevant to each industry, such as NIS2, ISO 27001, GDPR, DORA, SOX and HIPAA, ensuring that training addresses real sector-specific risks and supports compliance efforts.

Q: How does SMARTFENSE adapt to hybrid or multi-tenant environments with different enterprise management systems? 

A: Ten years ago integrations were not a primary concern, but they are indispensable now. We began with user synchronization with Microsoft and Google, then integrated with Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Moodle, collaboration tools like Slack and Teams, and Human Resources platforms like SAP SuccessFactors. Today, our APIs are much more open and flexible, allowing deeper integration within each client’s ecosystem. We do not aim to replace existing solutions; we complement them by continuously exchanging data risk profiles and other insights that strengthen the organization’s cybersecurity strategy.

Q: What metrics effectively demonstrate the benefits or positive return on investment (ROI) of SMARTFENSE's programs and platform? 

A: We demonstrate ROI through both technical and perceptual metrics: measurable reductions in user susceptibility during phishing and ransomware simulations, user participation rates, and knowledge retention exams. We also gauge internal perception of the security department via surveys. Additionally, we monitor improvements in reporting behavior, which help reduce exposure and response times during real incidents. In Latin America, the significant effort to secure budgets results in sustained program adoption, which reflects the perceived long-term value and measurable risk reduction achieved through our awareness initiatives.

Q: How are AI and automation influencing cybersecurity awareness?

A: While AI can assist with tasks like regionalization, the nuance required to genuinely connect with our target audience still requires human oversight. We use AI to improve platform features. For example, we developed an advanced module that uses AI to identify false positives in phishing simulations. This is critical because our technology must distinguish between a human user failing a test and another AI-driven security tool that automatically scans and “clicks” a phishing link, ensuring our user behavior metrics remain accurate.

Furthermore, AI is essential for personalizing content delivery. We use it to analyze a user's interactions and risk profile to provide the most relevant and impactful awareness materials for their specific needs. It also helps us generate deeper insights from our reporting.

But we also need to prepare users to face attackers who are using AI, too. Cybercriminals now create phishing attacks that are highly effective, grammatically perfect and much faster to produce. The user remains the most cost-effective target for attackers, and this trend will only intensify. 

Q: What challenges and opportunities do you see in the adoption of continuous awareness programs versus traditional annual or one-time training approaches? 

A: Continuous awareness complements traditional training by maintaining an ongoing state of alertness, rather than episodic certification. Its value lies in keeping security top of mind in employees’ day-to-day work through a combination of micro-messages, periodic reminders, real-time interventions, and diverse reinforcement materials. This approach helps counteract natural forgetting and reinforces secure behaviors in context, beyond what formal training alone can achieve.
A key challenge is educating HR departments on this distinction and ensuring seamless integration with existing LMS platforms.

Q: What are SMARTFENSE's immediate priorities and what are your expansion plans for Mexico and other strategic markets by the end of 2025? 

A: We have diversified our portfolio with multiple editions, including a recently launched light version designed for small consultants and their clients, which we plan to expand to Mexico, our fastest-growing market.
We are also building partnerships with telecom providers and cyber insurance companies to reach smaller organizations that are often underserved.
Beyond Mexico, our focus remains on strengthening our presence in Italy and Chile, with an emphasis on long-term client relationships and a trust-based commercial approach — clearly different from the high-pressure tactics often used by global competitors.