U.S. and Cuban officials met to discuss cyber crime, according to the State Department.
The meeting, held in Washington, DC on Monday, included U.S. deputy assistant secretary for western hemisphere affairs Alex Lee, deputy assistant attorney general Bruce Swartz, Cuba's deputy advisor of the commission on defense and Cuba's national security Abel Gonzalez Santamaria, ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez, and other officials.
The State Department said in a statement, “Law enforcement is a key area in the bilateral relationship as the United States continues on the path toward normalized relations with Cuba.”
The discussions are part of a global effort of nations to create cyber alliances. This year, the U.S. signed agreements to coordinate on cybersecurity priorities with Israel, South Korea, and Japan.
In addition, the U.S. signed an agreement with China in September in which the two countries agreed not to engage in cybertheft of intellectual property for commercial gain, although U.S. industry pros remain highly skeptical of the U.S.-China agreement, especially after a report that China broke the agreement less than a month after the deal was inked.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorka will meet with officials in China this week to discuss cyber priorities.
