Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on U.S. Cybersecurity Support to Costa Rica

Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies Anne Neuberger traveled to Costa Rica March 29-30 to announce the United States' plan to provide $25 million in cybersecurity support to the Government of Costa Rica, demonstrating President Biden's commitment to help one of our closest partners secure its infrastructure and to support strong democracies in the region.

The U.S.'s support will enable Costa Rica to establish a national security operations center to quickly detect and respond to cyber attacks and implement cybersecurity protections for its government systems. This builds on the rapid support the U.S. provided to Costa Rica following two major ransomware attacks in the spring of 2022 that disrupted government services and led President Rodrigo Chaves Robles to declare a state of emergency.

While in Costa Rica, Neuberger met with senior government officials to underscore the Biden-Harris Administration's collaboration with our global partners to bolster the government's cyber infrastructure and ensure their citizens can access critical services. Additionally, she emphasized the strength of the U.S.-Costa Rican partnership in addressing a range of regional technology issues.

This announcement came during the Summit for Democracy, which featured Costa Rica as a co-host country, and reflects the U.S.'s commitment to supporting democracies' access to secure, open, and reliable digital technology.