Ecuador is ‘fertile territory’ for criminal hackers of personal data, cybersecurity experts report

Ecuador ranks fourth among Latin American countries for data leaks of residents’ personal information. The U.S.-based cybersecurity company Vecert Analyzer reports that Ecuador has become “fertile territory” for hackers of public and private data and that the government should take immediate steps to improve data security.

Ecuador ranks low for cybersecurity, experts report.

Vecert Analyzer reports that more than 385 hacks of public data have been detected since January, many of them by criminal organizations that specialize in the sale of personal data, including government records, banking and medical reports.

According to the Vecert analysis, between May and early June 2026, there were 12 “significant data hacks” of public agencies, including the Civil Registry, the National Electoral Council, Public Health medical laboratories, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Production, the president’s office and public companies, such as the National Electric Company.

Vecert reports that there is evidence of an “accelerated evolution of cybercrime activity” in which criminal groups are not only looking for quick monetization, but are building large databases of digital identity, biometrics and medical information for future fraud, extortion and political operations.

“In recent years, a key strategy of criminal hackers is to build information files on individuals which they can exploit at a later date,” Vecert says in its comments. “Although they focus on high-income individuals and individuals with high-value assets, their files including many middle-net worth individuals as well.”

Vecert adds that the market is also expanding for hacked information about government officials, which can be used by politicians and contractors in election campaigns and negotiations.

So why does Ecuador have so many data leaks? According to Diana Maldonado, the country has not protected itself against cybercrime. “Officials are not taking the necessary care to keep public information secure,” she says. “They have not committed the financial resources to the problem that more sophisticated governments have, and it is the residents of the country who pay the price.”

Maldonado compares the lack of cybersecurity to Ecuador’s precarious power-generation crisis. “In both cases, a solution requires a large investment of financial resources and the government has avoided making the commitment,” she says. “There must be dedicated facilities to fight the problem, operated by skilled, independent cybersecurity experts.”

In the first five months of 2026, Maldonado estimates that 6.4 terabytes of government data have been leaked.

She adds that private institutions, especially banks, internet providers, financial cooperatives and hospitals, have also neglected investing in cybersecurity. “Large amounts of customer data is routinely taken from private accounts,” she says. “The companies are aware of this but don’t want the public to know.”

Alfredo Velazco, director of Ecuador Digital Users, says the government and private businesses refuse to take cybercrime seriously. “We have had major leaks from the government and large bank in Ecuador since 2019,” he says. “The managers privately acknowledge that third parties are accessing their data, but they are not spending the money to stop it.”