Punta Cana is best known for all-inclusive resorts and white sand, but for a few days it became the Caribbean's cyber HQ. The 10th International Congress of Computer Forensics & Cybersecurity (IFC 2026) drew specialists from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Spain and the United States, plus representatives of the Organization of American States, to talk about how digital crime is changing.
The headline concern: artificial intelligence cuts both ways. Speakers pointed out that AI can strengthen cybersecurity and speed up data analysis, but it also hands criminals tools to automate scams, sharpen social engineering and churn out synthetic content that is increasingly hard to spot from the real thing. Digital fraud and identity theft are the obvious beneficiaries, and the experts expect these attacks to keep getting more sophisticated.
The core message was that prevention alone no longer cuts it. Organisations need the ability to detect attacks quickly, respond, and then investigate properly — which puts computer forensics centre stage. Identifying, preserving and analysing digital evidence correctly is what allows investigators to reconstruct what happened and support cases afterwards. Pedro Castillo, CEO of TechnologyInt, the company behind IFC 2026, argued that this demands specialised training, stronger forensic capability, closer cooperation between the public and private sectors, and continued regional investment so that victims can actually get answers.
Why should a traveller care? Because the people being targeted by AI-assisted phishing, fake booking sites and identity theft are often holidaymakers booking flights and hotels online. The defensive playbook discussed in Punta Cana — rapid detection, evidence preservation, cross-border cooperation — mirrors the habits smart travellers should adopt: verify booking platforms before paying, watch for synthetic or too-perfect communications, and keep records of transactions in case something goes wrong and you need to dispute it later. If you're traveling soon, bookmark our Punta Cana planning guide to pair these safety habits with your trip prep.
