Governor Jenniffer González Leads Signing of PRITS–DARPA Agreement to Research Improvement of Puerto Rico's Critical Infrastructure Against Cyberattacks
(Thursday, October 29, 2026; La Fortaleza) – Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón today led the signing at La Fortaleza of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service (PRITS) and the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The agreement launches the All Infrastructure Cyber Defense (AIxCD) pilot program in Puerto Rico, which seeks to strengthen the cybersecurity of the Island's critical infrastructure.
At the ceremony, presided over by the Governor, the agreement was signed by PRITS Executive Director Poincaré Díaz Peña. The agreement was also signed by DARPA Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) Director Dr. Patrick Lincoln. The signing took place in observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
“The security of our power grid, our water systems, our hospitals and our public safety is the security of every Puerto Rican family. With this agreement with DARPA, Puerto Rico takes a firm step to protect the essential services our people depend on and places itself at the forefront of critical infrastructure cyber defense. This partnership with the federal government shows that, by working together, we can get ahead of threats, strengthen our capabilities and develop in Puerto Rico the talent that will sustain this protection over the long term,” said Governor Jenniffer González-Colón.
DARPA, an agency of the U.S. Department of War (DoW), has since 1958 had the mission to create and prevent technological surprise for U.S. national security. The AIxCD agreement will facilitate the development of technologies critical for addressing cyber-related risks and hardening Puerto Rico’s critical infrastructure networks. DARPA and PRITS will coordinate with local entities to facilitate research of AIxCD technologies across their respective critical infrastructure networks
The program includes the development of digital twins of critical infrastructure networks. In these isolated environments, vulnerabilities can be detected, fixes can be tested and personnel can be trained without affecting operational systems.
The collaboration will focus on researching automated vulnerability detection and autonomous patch generation technologies. PRITS, in coordination with the participating critical infrastructure operators, will lead the technical implementation and explore pathways with software providers to transition these research capabilities into operational systems.
“This agreement allows us to get ahead of threats. With DARPA, we will aim to identify and fix vulnerabilities in the systems that support the country's essential services before they can be exploited and develop in Puerto Rico the knowledge to sustain that capability over the long term,” said Poincaré Díaz Peña, Executive Director of PRITS.
Under the agreement, the program may include but may not be limited to:
- Health: Medical Services Administration (ASEM), university hospitals, the Cardiovascular Hospital and the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- Energy and water: Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA), including the systems operated by LUMA Energy and Genera PR.
- Public safety: communications networks of the Department of Public Safety (DSP) and its operational components, including its internal CyberSOC.
- Higher education: University of Puerto Rico (UPR), where a Cyber Center of Excellence will be established at the Mayagüez Campus.
Each entity's participation will be formalized through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) between DARPA and each organization. Each network owner or operator will retain control of its data and the authority to apply any patch to its systems.
Likewise, Secretary of Health Dr. Víctor Ramos stated that “from the first day of this administration, Governor Jenniffer González's instruction was direct and leaves no room for interpretation: protect our patients like never before and prioritize their safety and health above all else. Hospitals and other health institutions have the great responsibility of safeguarding our patients' information and fully complying with the state and federal laws that require it, because behind every record there is a life, a family and a trust we cannot fail. With this historic agreement between PRITS and DARPA for the AIxCD program, we take a decisive step to strengthen our electronic information network at the Medical Services Administration (ASEM), the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
For his part, the energy czar explained that “Puerto Rico's energy infrastructure is essential not only to the daily lives of more than three million American citizens, but also to our economic stability, emergency preparedness, and national security. Its reliability directly affects hospitals, communications, water infrastructure, transportation, and other critical services. PREPA retains responsibility for critical electrical infrastructure and 20 of Puerto Rico's 37 water reservoirs. These facilities rely on interconnected Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) systems to monitor and control essential operations, creating increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges. For Puerto Rico, cybersecurity is not simply a technological concern; it is a fundamental component of energy security, infrastructure resilience, and national security.
Under Governor Jenniffer González-Colón's leadership, our Administration is advancing a comprehensive strategy to modernize and strengthen Puerto Rico's energy system. We recognize that investments in physical infrastructure must be accompanied by advanced cybersecurity capabilities. Accordingly, we see significant value in exploring a strategic collaboration among DARPA, the Government of Puerto Rico through PRITS, PREPA, and our energy sector stakeholders. We are particularly interested in DARPA's AIxCD initiative and related technologies, including AI-enabled penetration testing, autonomous vulnerability detection and remediation, cyber reasoning systems, and digital twins. These capabilities could strengthen the protection of critical IT, OT, industrial control systems, and SCADA environments, while supporting early threat detection, secure testing, and operational continuity.
Our objective is to move from reactive cybersecurity measures toward a proactive approach capable of anticipating threats, reducing vulnerabilities, and strengthening the resilience of Puerto Rico's critical infrastructure.”
Puerto Rico offers a valuable opportunity to explore the application of these technologies across interconnected energy and water systems, potentially generating lessons applicable to critical infrastructure throughout the United States. We look forward to working with DARPA to identify practical opportunities for technical cooperation and innovation that strengthen our infrastructure, protect essential services, and advance our shared national security objectives.
“Transforming the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority also means strengthening our critical infrastructure through innovation and technology. Protecting our drinking water and sanitary sewer systems against cyber threats is essential to guaranteeing the continuity of the services our people receive. Initiatives like this allow us to move toward a more modern, secure PRASA that is prepared for the challenges of the future, for the benefit of all of Puerto Rico,” said PRASA President Luis González.
“From my military experience and as Secretary of the Department of Public Safety, I recognize that protecting our critical infrastructure requires anticipating cyber threats. This agreement between PRITS and DARPA will allow us to incorporate advanced technology to detect and fix vulnerabilities before they compromise essential services. For public safety, this effort represents an opportunity to strengthen the continuity of our operations and our emergency response capability,” said General Arturo Garffer.
PRITS will be the Government of Puerto Rico's lead entity for the program's technical implementation, cybersecurity requirements, and liaison with critical infrastructure owners and operators. In addition, the agency will coordinate the establishment of a Cyber Center of Excellence at the University of Puerto Rico's Mayagüez Campus and will prepare a transition strategy to sustain these capabilities over the long term.
Following the agreement, the DARPA and PRITS teams will continue with the program's technical work agenda.
###
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
