"The best prevention tool is information," says Fernanda Palomino Díaz, Cyber Safety Communications Lead LATAM at Gen Digital, on the Future Talks podcast. Generative AI has erased the old warning signs of fraud — flawless emails, perfectly cloned websites — and the fix isn't more technology, it's earlier education.
There's a line that's stayed with us this week: "The best prevention tool is information." It was said by Fernanda Palomino Díaz, Cyber Safety Communications Lead LATAM at Gen Digital (the parent company of brands such as Norton and Avast), on the Future Talks podcast — and we couldn't agree more.
Because it's true: we pay, work, shop, share photos of our children, and even build our identity from our phones, yet we still protect that digital life with half the care we give our physical one. Fernanda Palomino puts it plainly: the problem is no longer just access to the internet — it's not knowing how to read risk or stay informed. And that risk has changed shape. Generative AI has made fraud stop looking like fraud: flawless emails, meticulously cloned websites, messages that play directly on urgency or the fear of missing out. There are no more spelling mistakes to save us.
The solution points to something simpler than we might imagine: not more technology, but more education — starting earlier than we think. Fernanda Palomino talks about teaching cybersecurity the way we teach children not to talk to strangers, starting at home and at school, because many children already have a digital footprint before they ever touch a device of their own. Unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, and skepticism toward anything too good to be true.
And if there's one thing we do in strategic communications, it's exactly that: turning complex information into something people understand, remember, and act on — the same human judgment that no AI model can replace.
"Our digital life is an extension of our physical life, and that's why it deserves the same level of care."
Some highlights from the conversation
What is the main cybersecurity challenge in Mexico today?
According to Fernanda Palomino, the problem is no longer internet access, but the lack of education to identify digital risks. More and more children and teenagers are building a digital footprint before they even own a device, often without supervision or the tools to recognize a threat.
How has artificial intelligence changed digital fraud?
Generative AI has made online fraud nearly indistinguishable from legitimate communication. Fake emails, websites, and messages no longer contain spelling errors or careless design — the traditional warning signs have all but disappeared. Today's attacks exploit emotions like urgency or FOMO (fear of missing out) to manipulate victims.
What protective measures does Gen Digital recommend?
The specialist highlights three simple, high-impact habits: using unique passwords for each platform, enabling multi-factor authentication, and staying skeptical of any offer or opportunity that seems "too good to be true."
When should cybersecurity education begin?
The specialist argues that digital-safety education should start at home and at school from an early age, with the same preventive approach used to teach children not to talk to strangers.
Fernanda is part of the Gen Digital team, a client we support on communications strategy in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia.
