Mexico’s cybersecurity is going through one of its worst moments

Mexico has had some pretty tough months in terms of cybersecurity. Many of its institutions and organizations have been victims of a cascade of security breaches that have exposed sensitive information of their users. Since the data leak of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) to the security breach from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), passing through vulnerability in Telcel systemseither signs of leak In the Tax Administration Service (SAT), the list is extensive and worrying. The context. Between September 2025 and January 2026, Mexico has recorded at least a dozen serious cybersecurity incidents that have affected public organizations and private companies. The IMSS, the National Employment Service, the Ministry of Education of Chiapasthe Federal Electricity Commission and various state agencies have seen their systems compromised. The result has been the violation of sensitive data of millions of Mexicans. The UNAM case. The National Autonomous University of Mexico, confirmed A few weeks ago it suffered an unauthorized intrusion into five of its more than 100,000 computer systems during the holiday period. Although the university assured that no personal information was extracted, the investigation by journalist Ignacio Gómez Villaseñor revealed that the hacker identified as ByteToBreach would have accessed data of more than 380,000 students and academics, including registrations, institutional emails and encrypted passwords. According to the journalist, the attacker also had access to sensitive documents that include complaints of workplace harassment, alleged academic plagiarism, and confidential communications from the rector’s office. The background. According to account Villaseñor, the UNAM security breach was not a sudden event. The journalist shows internal documents revealing that the university detected a first illicit access on March 13, 2025 and filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office, although the case did not progress. The final attack, which occurred between December 31 and January 1, coincided with the fact that engineers and developers from the Technology Projects Coordination had not been collecting fees for months due to “audit processes”, according to an internal letter from September 2025. The situation coincided with the exploitation of a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-66478) in Next.js servers that allowed the massive hack. The protagonist. ByteToBreach is not unknown in the world of cybercrime. According to SOCRadarhas been operating as a merchant of stolen databases since at least June 2025. It has been linked to breaches affecting airlines, banks, government institutions and health systems in several countries. In Mexico, in addition to the UNAM, is attributed the attack on the Invoice SAT Móvil application in December 2025, although the organization denied that its systems were compromised despite the technical evidence presented by the attacker. The Telcel scandal. Less than 24 hours after the entry into force of the mandatory registration of mobile lines in MexicoTelcel, one of the largest operators in the country, also faced a serious security vulnerability. On January 9, 2026, Gómez Villaseñor denounced that the company’s official portal allowed the personal information of millions of clients to be consulted without the need for passwords or verification codes: identity, CURP (Unique Population Registry Code), RFC (Federal Taxpayer Registry) and email were exposed simply by entering a telephone number. Although Telcel initially issued a statement ambiguous stating that the data was secure, Renato Flores, deputy director of communications for the company, recognized hours later on national radio that “there was a technical vulnerability” that was immediately corrected. The company insisted that users could only access their own information, although the journalist published a video proving the opposite. Answer. After the events, the UNAM assured that will not spare resources in cybersecurity during 2026. Rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas indicated that a network of internal experts and training programs would be created, while ensuring that the security of its systems would be fortified. To this end, an Internal Regulation of the Technical Committee for Computing Governance has been approved and seven specialized subcommittees have been established, including one specifically dedicated to computer security. Real risks. These security breaches pose a real risk to citizens. With data such as CURP, RFC, university registrations and emails circulating on the black market, the risks include identity theft, impersonation to carry out fraudulent procedures, phishing campaigns targeted targeting and access to accounts on other platforms if passwords are reused. And the leak of medical information from the IMSS, fiscal data from the SAT and educational records creates a complete profile of citizens that can be exploited in multiple ways. In this sense, users have no choice but to remain alert: not providing sensitive data by SMS, calls or emails without verifying the identity of the requester, changing compromised passwords and monitoring possible fraudulent use. On the other hand, it never hurts to activate mechanisms of two factor authentication whenever possible. As much as we repeat these instructions when security breaches of this magnitude arise, they are really basic steps that are in our power and that can greatly minimize the risks. Cover image | Chantel and FlyD In Xataka | Endesa hacking: what you have to do to protect yourself if you have received an email saying that you have been affected

Mexico’s plan to disarm its population

The scene is the least shocking. Throughout the last weeks, in Mexico City or more recently in locations in the states of Gentleman and Chiapasrows of armed people with revolvers, shotguns, rifles, cartridges and bullets have been organized. They are not military. No traffickers. No police. In the tails you can see citizens of all kinds, from men with their children to the elderly, ladies or young people. Everyone does the same: They wait for their turn patiently before a tent occupied by military With their weapons or ammunition under your arm. They are there to make a peculiar barter: change their weapons for money or appliances. And incidentally contribute to Claudia Sheinbaum’s last attempt by fight violence In Mexico, the program “Yes to disarmament, yes to peace”. Gun by toasters? It is a peculiar barter, but that is what has been done This Monday in Tapachulaa town of Chiapas, on the southern border of Mexico. There, in the Municipal Palace, a collection point was set up with Army personnel for citizens who wanted to deliver their weapons in exchange for a reward. Which? In this case, appliances, such as Inform The EFE agency. The first to participate was a young man who got rid of a revolver of the 38 caliber. It is not known what he received in return, but in The photos The ceremony shows that in the position mounted by the Government there are several boxes with whippers or coffee makers. Tapachula’s act marks the beginning of A campaign of collection of weapons, ammunition and explosives that will run until Saturday by other locations in the state of Chiapas, such as Metapa or Mazatán. And why do we collect weapons? For destroy them. Or at least remove them from the streets. In the post of Tapachula could be seen in fact how, after receiving the 38 caliber revolver, the army staff I was useless live. Although The goal Last is more ambitious: what Sheinbaum is looking is fight crimesviolence and insecurity, in addition to accidents. “Weapons are a symbol of violence and death. We do not want any family to have a weapon at home,” He claimed The Mexican president in January, when she presented the campaign, baptized ‘Yes to disarmament, yes to peace’. The Secretary of the Government Rosa Icela went further when talking about the campaign and made her claim clear: “Each weapon received is a crime or injury less.” Rewards … and anonymity. To encourage people to take out the guns, rifles and cartridges that may have been stored, sometimes for years and inheritances, the Mexican government has played two large buzas. A, Anonymity. Another, the reward, either in pesos or with appliances, as seen This same week In the state of Chiapas. One of the key messages From the campaign ‘yes to disarmament, yes to peace’ is that citizens can get rid of their guns, bullets and explosives Without having to give explanations nor fear that the exchange activates an investigation into its origin. “The collection of weapons will depend on the population attending the exchange module voluntarily and anonymously, without legal consequences for the fact of possessing armament,” they collect The bases published by the Mexican Executive. Click on the image to go to Tweet. A good gesture … with a reward included. Although the government insists In the advantages of the program for the population, who participate directly has offered another more palpable reward: money. As collect The countrythe General Secretariat of the Interior has set certain amounts that apply depending on the characteristics of the weapon, its model, caliber or useful life. The exchanges can in fact at 26,450 pesos, just over 1,200 euros. In the case of a grenade, the planned payments move between 12 and 70 dollars. On other occasions what is offered in exchange for guns and rifles are appliances. It could be seen a few days ago In Tapachulabut also in the municipality of Progreso de Obregón, in the Hildago state. The National Defense Secretariat itself I recently uploaded photos To his X profile in which he saw how a military distributed boxes with toasters or plates, among other devices. The initiative also has a pedagogical dimension and aspires to transfer a message to the new generations of Mexicans. During the presentation of the CDMX campaign there were children who exchanged “war” toys, such as plastic guns, for others without that connotation. “The objective (is) that no boy or girl has a toy that has to do with violence. We replace a war for another educational,” advocated At the beginning of the Sheinbaum year. Is it a new idea? Not quite. Is The first time that the strategy to withdraw weapons from households and the streets is launched nationwide, but before it had already been launched in the capital, where Sheinbaum exercised for years as Head of Government of CDMX. In fact in The official website From the capital administration there is a section dedicated to the program ‘Yes to disarmament, yes to La Paz’ in which it stands out that since its inception, in 2019, 6,546 weapons were recorded. “It seeks to withdraw the weapons of the civilian population, whether they have acquired it legally or illegally, to reduce high -impact crimes associated with firearms,” argues The CDMX government. For now and expect the campaign Keep advancingthis new effort seems to be also paying off. In February Icela stressed that in just one month he had served to collect 540 weapons and on March 21 that figure had fired until The thousand. That without counting 84 large, thousands of bullets and several dynamite cartridges. Images | Government Secretariat of Mexico City (X) and National Defense Secretariat (X) In Xataka | Mexico has forbidden to kill or hurt bulls in runs. Spain already tried in the Balearic Islands and did not go well

Mexico’s plan to stop being a second player in the semiconductor industry

Become Mexico into a scientific and technological power. That is the plan of President Claudia Sheinbaum who, since she held the position at the end of last year, has not stopped presenting proposals to achieve that goal. Fruit of this is the call ‘Mexico Plan‘, the intention of create your own cheap electric car. Now, Mexico wants to depend on others to obtain chips, becoming a technological power along the way. The key name of the project is ‘Kutsari’ and, although ambitious, it must face important challenges. KUTSARI. In a press conference, Sheinbaum advertisement The creation of the National Semiconductor Design Center “Kutsari”. He explained that “it is the union of many scientists, technological developers and public institutions of higher education that will put all their intelligence, design and creativity to generate new semiconductor designs.” The idea is ambitious and encompassed in the proposals of the Mexico Plan to revitalize the country and stop depending on both imports. In this case, imports of all types of chips for the devices that Mexico already produces and, thus, strengthen local manufacturing. Stop being a country that assembles chips to become one that designs and manufactures them, ultimately. Goals. Sheinbaum’s vision is clear: Creation of the National Semiconductor Design Center. Later, establish a semiconductor manufacturing center. Finally, create a chain that allows you to try, encapsulate and assemble those chips in equipment. In the statement, the president speaks of three venues located in Puebla, Jalisco and Sonora that, in addition, will be coordinated and supported by institutions such as the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, the Advanced Studies Research Center of the National Polytechnic Institute, the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the National Polytechnic Institute. Kutsari means “sand” in Purépecha, the key material from which silicon is extracted to create semiconductors Roadmap. After the implementation of the first headquarters in which the semiconductors will be designed, a consolidation of them is expected for 2027. At some point next year, the idea is to start looking for how a private, public or mixed company could establish a factory that produces these chips in the face of consolidation in 2029 and 2030. The objective of these first Mexican semicondators is the automotive industry, the automotive industry is the automotive industry and medical equipment. They also mention “other strategic devices for the country”, without specifying what they would be. However, in the design of semiconductors the patents and that commitment of the country will be reflected in a modification of the Federal Law on Intellectual Property Protection with the objective of accelerating the patent process. Thus, this record of technological innovations will be expedited to expedite the production and sale process after the initial design phase. And it is also something that will allow protecting designs to possible plagiarism. Investments. We enter the critical part of the plan. As we mentioned, Kutsari is part of the Mexico Plan, but producing semiconductors is not only easy: it is not cheap either. Thus, the idea is to attract national private initiative and foreign investments that intend to seduce with the creation of a more powerful business technological mesh. Several companies are already betting on Mexico and, without leaving the chips segment, we have an almighty like Foxconn who is building in Mexico the Greater factory on the planet For Nvidia chips. Challenges. But, beyond the difficulty when establishing that new industry, Kutsari will encounter other challenges along the way. One is the very high competition with countries such as Vietnam either India that have been offering aggressive incentives for years for companies They move from China to their territoryeven seducing giants like Apple and Samsung. To that wild competition we must add that silicon is needed or germaniumtwo critical materials for semiconductors that are strategic in countries such as the United States and China. And, obviously, national and international talent is needed, as well as a stable political and economic environment, since chips do not develop overnight. On this, Sheinbaum has commented that “there is a lot of research in Mexico and now what we are doing is putting all these minds together”, a good touchstone that only needs to consolidate with good development policies that allow the country to enter to play in the complicated and competitive world of semiconductors. Image | ASML In Xataka | If the question is how to answer the US trade war, Europe believes to have the answer: smart tariffs

The 13 keys to ‘Plan Mexico’, Mexico’s strategy to protect itself from China and wink at Trump

“Continue making Mexico the best country in the world.” That is the ambitious objective of Claudia Sheinbaum, current president of Mexico, who will face a complicated panorama in the coming weeks due to the tariff plans of a Donald Trump who has entered the White House stomping. And to achieve that goal, Sheinbaum has presented his government’s 13 goals to reduce poverty and inequality, while turning the country into an attractive destination for investors. Mexico Plan. On January 13, Sheinbaum advertisement to the nation that “Mexico has a plan and is united forward.” He commented that there is a portfolio of intention of national and foreign investments and that, to attract all possible capital, they have created 13 goals to continue developing the country. These points of the Mexico Plan are the following: Go from the 12th economy to the tenth in the world. Raise the proportion of investment to GDP, above 25%. Generate 1.5 million jobs. 50% of what is consumed in the country are products “made in Mexico” in the textile, footwear, furniture and toys sectors. Increase national content by 15%. 50% of public purchases will be of national production. Vaccines made in Mexico thanks to advanced biotechnology programs. Going from 2.5 years to one year the time it takes to process a new business, also with the requirements for this reduced by 50%. Increase 150,000 additional professionals and technicians annually to those already generated. Business environmental sustainability. 30% of SMEs with access to financing from both private and government banks. Be one of the five most visited countries worldwide. Reduce poverty and inequality. Billionaire. One of the legs on which Plan Mexico will be based is to attract investments. According to the Government, nearly 2,000 projects are being contemplated by companies seeking to establish themselves in the country, which implies national and foreign investments of 277,000 million dollars. “Made in Mexico”. Something that is mentioned several times in the plan is the concept of “made in Mexico”, and as we see in BBCit is something that has every intention. One of the main focuses of this strategy is to return to manufacturing elements in Mexico to develop an industry that has been left aside. For example, prioritizing the textile sector that had been relegated to what Mexico imported, mainly from countries like China. Over the last decades, the country stopped producing what it consumed to import it from Asia and Rogelio Ramírez, Secretary of the Treasury, declared that “10% of exports currently have Mexico as a destination.” Playing both sides. Ramírez commented that “this loss of participation cost us, especially Mexico and the United States, a lot of industry and loss of activity. “Entire sectors were lost.” This is why a plan that favors the national business fabric can benefit both Mexico and its main trading partner, the United States. In the Government document it was specified that China had cornered the international industry and that the objective was to make Mexico recover the lost ground. Ramírez explained that, if replace 10% of China’s exports to North America with Mexican products, the country’s GDP would increase by 1.2%, that of the United States by 0.8% and that of Canada by 0.2%. The problem is that Mexico and China have been strengthening their relations for years. So much so that Trade between both countries skyrocketed during 2024turning Mexico into the gateway for Chinese products to the United States and, therefore, the Asian giant as a valuable trading partner. An example is companies electric cars like JAC or SEV, which have already announced million-dollar investments to open factories in Mexico. AND BYD is also very clear that, to enter the US market, they need to make the leap to Mexico. “No recipe for Donald Trump”. Despite Trump’s threats, Mexico can be crowned as an important US trading partner to get rid of China. We will see what happens with the protectionist policies that the new American president has promised during his campaign, since they may not have been just lip service. The reason is that Trump has no expectations of re-election, so he can go in with everything, giving free rein to his most aggressive ideas and policies. He has threatened Mexico on several occasions, as well as Canada, and Carlos Pérez Ricart, from the Center for Economic Research and Teaching, believes that “there is no recipe or adequate response for Donald Trump. Nobody has the key here and there is so much uncertainty in terms of rates and interventionism that there is nothing clear that can be planned.” What is evident is that Sheinbaum is clear that, coinciding with the arrival of the new president of the United States, citizens should know that there is a plan B in the medium and long term. We will see if it is enough and to what extent the promised US protectionism affects Mexico. Images | White House, Aeneas of Troy In Xataka | China and the US want the same territory in South America. China has offered an ambitious project, Trump will enter by force

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.