Ciberdefensa y ciberseguridad, más allá del mundo virtual: modelo ecuatoriano de gobernanza en ciberdefensa/ Cyber-defense and cybersecurity, beyond the virtual world: Ecuadorian model of cyber-defense governance

Cyber-defense and cybersecurity have become key areas of strategic studies. Its current development coincides with the advent of the information society, the networks between computers and the phenomenon “Internet” whose expansion has shaped the fifth dimension of modern war and has significantly affected the daily life of the various actors in the global world. Indeed, its study becomes a task forced for the political-strategic conduct of the defense of the nations. In Ecuador these themes (widely discussed) have focused on a pragmatic dimension. This article, after an analytical-conceptual consideration of security and defense in cyberspace, proposes the configuration of a local model of governance in cyber-defense, inscribed in the current legislation. The findings show that local reflection is still incipient and interagency efforts are required for its institutionalization. La ciberdefensa y ciberseguridad se han convertido en áreas claves de los estudios estratégicos. Su desarrollo actual coincide con el advenimiento de la sociedad de la información, las redes entre computadoras y el fenómeno “Internet”, cuya expansión ha configurado la quinta dimensión de la guerra moderna y ha afectadosensiblemente la vida cotidiana de los diversos actores en el mundo global. De hecho, su estudio se convierte en una tarea obligada para la conducción político-estratégica de la defensa de las naciones. En el Ecuador, dichas temáticas (ampliamente discutidas) se han focalizado en una dimensión pragmática. El presente artículo, tras un examen analítico-conceptual de la seguridad y defensa en el ciberespacio, propone la configuración de un modelo local de gobernanza en ciberdefensa, inscrito en la normativa vigente. Los hallazgos muestran que la reflexión local es aún incipiente y se requieren esfuerzos interagenciales para su institucionalización.ABSTRACTCyber-defense and cybersecurity have become key areas of strategic studies. Its current development coincides with the advent of the information society, the networks between computers and the phenomenon “Internet” whose expansion has shaped the fifth dimension of modern war and has significantly affected the daily life of the various actors in the global world. Indeed, its study becomes a task forced for the political-strategic conduct of the defense of the nations. In Ecuador these themes (widely discussed) have focused on a pragmatic dimension. This article, after an analytical-conceptual consideration of security and defense in cyberspace, proposes the configuration of a local model of governance in cyber-defense, inscribed in the current legislation. The findings show that local reflection is still incipient and interagency efforts are required for its institutionalization