VERACRUZ, Panama — Three Panamanian university students participated in the PANAMAX cyber training event alongside more than 80 attendees from different nations and organizations, Aug. 3-12, as part of PANAMAX 2026.
This training exercise strengthens cybersecurity by training nations on how to identify and neutralize threats in cyberspace and protect information, systems and networks from unauthorized access, disruption, damage and other cyber threats. Participants have been separated into six teams where they perform various tasks and procedures in the Persistent Cyber Training Environment to simulate protecting cyberspace from adversaries.
“I started seeing all the different areas of cybersecurity you can specialize in and all the things you can accomplish and help protect, not only hack, but you can also defend things that are valuable,” said Veronica Aparicio, a Panamanian student attending Louisiana State University. “There’s a huge feeling of accomplishment every time you get to do a program and you do it right, or that you’re capturing the flag and you find the flag, and well, I guess that thrill is what drives me every day to get better and to keep improving.”
The cyber training allowed participants to receive hands-on experiences to develop their proficiency in cybersecurity and learn new procedures using real world examples. “It's like they give you a base at the beginning, like everything we are going to see, the programs that we are going to use, they explain to you, and then start with the tasks, with the practices, the exercises, so that you can learn and develop yourself, and see how cybersecurity is handled in real life, with real examples,” said Sofia Rodriguez, a Panamanian student attending Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá.
PANAMAX 2026 scenarios help the security forces of participating nations hone their skills through scenarios involving coalition and all-domain operations. This training demonstrates their collective capacity to respond to and deter threats to the region.
“I'm so thankful for this opportunity and to the United States Southern Command and every specialist that came here to help train us,” Aparicio said. “The possibility of making mistakes and learning in a safe environment where everything's okay, you're just learning and training. It's something new.”
This exercise highlights the ever-growing interoperability that PANAMAX is cultivating and will forge a path of enduring cybersecurity, stability and cooperation in the region. By bringing nations together, this training event further strengthens regional partnerships and prepares nations for the evolving cybersecurity challenges that can threaten the area.