The Brazilian Army coordinated the eighth edition of the Guardião Cibernético (“Cyber Guardian”) event from September 21 to 25, a couple of weeks prior to Brazil’s presidential election. The exercise took place amid warnings from experts as well as the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN) regarding possible foreign interference in the Brazilian election.

The event brought together 1,300 participants in Brasília and six other state capitals, including São Paulo, Recife, Curitiba, and Manaus. The drill involved some 300 organizations and representatives from 14 countries.

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Described as “one of the most comprehensive cybersecurity training exercises in the Southern Hemisphere,” the exercise simulated digital threats with the aim of fostering cooperation between public and private institutions in the event of cyberattacks that could affect essential services for the population.

“During the drill, scenarios involving complex and coordinated cyberattacks were simulated, allowing procedures to be tested, contingency plans to be refined, and solutions to be identified in order to enhance national resilience,” the army stated in a press release.

In addition to the Armed Forces, the initiative brought together government agencies, regulatory bodies, and operators of critical infrastructure in the energy, water supply, telecommunications, and finance sectors, among others.

Risks of cyberattacks

Last week, a report by ABIN published by Folha de São Paulo and confirmed by TV Brasil warned of the risk of influence or interference by the US in the 2026 Brazilian elections.

Prepared in August of this year, the document classifies the possibility of foreign interference as a “critical issue” and contextualizes the problem by stating that “reaffirming US hegemony in Latin America” is a priority for US President Donald Trump’s second administration.

Analysts heard by Agência Brasil have warned of the risk of cyber operations by the US or big tech companies aimed at influencing the general elections in October, which could destabilize information and computer systems.

On August 12, the White House issued a memorandum outlining a partnership with private companies for actions involving “access to such information systems without the owner’s or operator’s authorization or exceeding authorized access.”

This week, Australia reported a hack of a website containing the country’s public health statistics by OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies.