Information security researchers are the unsung heroes of cybersecurity. Their work identifying and reporting on vulnerabilities or weaknesses in digital infrastructures, such as the internet, software code, and information systems, benefits all of us by making these systems more secure.

Despite the clear value of their work, governments worldwide have not only vilified information security researchers, but they have also persecuted them for finding and reporting on vulnerabilities.

This report aims to increase awareness of the hostile environment for security research in four Latin American countries — Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico — and propose solutions to protect this important work.