Guatemala Defense Ministry seeks web protection after data breach

Guatemala's Ministry of Defense is moving to bolster its cybersecurity defenses after a significant data breach impacted the Directorate General of Arms and Ammunition Control (Digecam). The ministry published a tender on June 2, identified by the Guatecompras Operation Number (NOG) 30734517, for "Licensing for website protection edition Business for use by the Informatics Department of the Directorate General of Arms and Ammunition Control (Digecam)."

This initiative follows a cyberattack on April 7, which compromised and exfiltrated data from approximately 18,000 Digecam users. The tender's offer presentation took place on June 5, with Business Information Technology Solutions, Sociedad Anónima, emerging as the sole bidder. The company proposed a value of Q47,394 for the licensing.

Business Information Technology Solutions has a history of securing government contracts, having received 16 awards in Guatecompras during 2026 from various entities including the Bank of Guatemala and the Ministry of Finance. These contracts, totaling over Q2.7 million, were primarily for software sales, provision, and maintenance. The current offer for Digecam's web security licensing is under analysis and, if approved, would mark the company's second contract with the ministry this year.

The required specifications for the web protection software include support for one domain with a 12-month subscription, 24/7 specialized technical support via chat, and robust security features. These features encompass web application firewalls (WAF), automatic and unlimited mitigation of distributed denial-of-service attacks, real-time monitoring, security logging, alert configuration, IP access control, and regional access restrictions. The contract also mandates the full installation, configuration, implementation, and training for the ministry's IT personnel.