Guatemala Commission Approves Revised Cybersecurity Bill

On 4 October 2026, Guatemala's congressional commission endorsed a revised cybersecurity bill that would establish a new National Cybersecurity Directorate under the Ministry of the Interior. This move brought Initiative 6347 closer to a full vote in Congress. The National Security Affairs Commission issued a favorable committee opinion with amendments after five months of review.

The bill still needs to be debated and approved by the entire Congress before becoming law. The most significant change is the placement of the National Cybersecurity Directorate within the Ministry of the Interior, which retains responsibility for national cyberdefense. The directorate would serve as a specialized technical and operational security body with its own budget, drafting the National Cybersecurity Policy and preparing strategies, plans, and protocols.

It would also coordinate prevention, response, and recovery efforts after cyber incidents, maintain a registry of incident-response centers and cybersecurity officers, and coordinate technical cooperation and information-sharing with the Ministry of National Defense. A National Cybersecurity Council, chaired by the President of Guatemala, would oversee the directorate.

The bill proposes administrative sanctions and a criminal and procedural framework for cybercrime, with prison terms ranging from four to ten years and fines of Q100,000 to Q300,000 for various offenses. Commission chairman Jorge Mario Villagrán expected congressional approval later in 2026, but no final vote date has been set. The revised opinion must still go through congressional debate and a plenary vote to become law.

The bill's advancement could signal a move toward formalized incident reporting and clearer institutional responsibility for foreign investors and companies in Guatemala.