The national cybersecurity strategy of Nicaragua 2020–2025

September 2020

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Strategies and Action Plans

The National Cybersecurity Strategy of Nicaragua 2020–2025 was officially adopted through Presidential Decree No. 24-2020, published in La Gaceta on 29 September.

The strategy was developed in response to growing cyber risks linked to the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs). It emphasises that while the internet and broadband have boosted socioeconomic development and competitiveness, they also expose states and citizens to new forms of cyber threats. Nicaragua positions the strategy within its National Human Development Plan (2018–2021) and its broader public security policies. Internationally, it draws on UN and OAS resolutions promoting a global culture of cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructures.

Principles

The strategy is built on four principles:

  1. Sovereignty and citizens’ rights – ensuring safe, sovereign, and responsible use of cyberspace.
  2. Risk management and resilience – creating a robust ICT infrastructure capable of withstanding incidents.
  3. Protection and defence – strengthening technical capacities to safeguard critical infrastructure and information.
  4. Alliances and cooperation – fostering collaboration at national and international levels for effective implementation.

Objectives and scope

The general objective is to guarantee the sovereign, safe, and reliable use of cyberspace to support peace, stability, security, and sustainable development.
Two specific objectives complement this:

  • establishing administrative and legal conditions for cybersecurity,
  • and securing the resilience of ICTs in critical infrastructure across both public and economic sectors.

Strategic axes

The strategy is structured around five axes:

  1. Institutional strengthening – creating consultative and technical bodies, a national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), and cooperation mechanisms.
  2. Legal framework strengthening – updating laws, enabling secure reporting of cybercrime, and adopting international standards.
  3. Education, training, and capacity development – integrating cybersecurity in education, training legal operators, promoting a culture of cyber awareness, and fostering public-private-academic collaboration.
  4. Technological strengthening – supporting research and innovation in cybersecurity, developing local talent, and deploying platforms for incident prevention and response.
  5. Security and resilience of critical infrastructures – identifying critical national services, formulating security policies, and establishing protocols for detection, prevention, and recovery from cyberattacks.

Implementation

The strategy is designed for a five-year period (2020–2025) with periodic updates based on evolving national needs and threat assessments. Its implementation is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TELCOR (the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Postal Services), together with relevant state institutions.