Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Científica Guacamaya
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This study examines the state of industrial cybersecurity in Panama and the real-world effectiveness of security tools for information networks and industrial control systems (ICS). A mixed-methods approach combines a recent literature review with an exploratory survey of eleven industry professionals. Results reveal an operational paradox: although 100% of organizations state that cybersecurity is a priority, only 63.6% report contingency plans and 63.6% formal access policies. Moreover, 27.3% have experienced vulnerabilities and 45.5% have had to remediate security breaches. These figures suggest a systemic gap between strategic intent and tactical execution. In terms of current impact, SIEM, IDS/IPS, network segmentation, and patch management are associated with improved detection and response, yet limitations persist regarding interoperability, legacy integration, and workforce capabilities. Looking forward, a five?pillar agenda is proposed: (i) domain maturity using the NIST CSF; (ii) security?by?design engineering for ICS; (iii) unified telemetry and XDR with advanced analytics; (iv) organizational change and security culture; and (v) operational risk measurement with leading and lagging indicators. The paper provides local evidence and a roadmap for continuous improvement that contrasts current impact with the potential risk reduction achieved by institutionalizing state?of?the?art security practices.
Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.
