Check Point's 2024 security report reveals an increase in cyber-attacks in Spain and Portugal, with an average of 1,133 weekly attacks in the last six months. The most affected sectors have been healthcare, with 2,361 attacks, education and research, with 2,053, and communications, with 1,622 attacks. This increase is part of a similar global trend, although with significant regional particularities.
Ransomware targets companies that handle data
Ransomware has been one of the main threats, with a 90% increase in victims in Spain and Portugal in the last year. Cybercriminals take advantage of vulnerabilities that have no immediate solution to attack third-party companies in the supply chain. This means that instead of attacking large companies directly, hackers target the companies that handle their data, thus increasing the risk of exposure.
As a “new thing,” these attacks have escalated and now also affect more global targets, having also extended their attack surface, for example, to the Linux operating system and communication devices such as routers, ADSL and VPN, among others.
Artificial Intelligence, a tool that promotes and prevents cybercrime, at the same time
In this panorama, artificial intelligence plays a dual role, with AI having become, on the one hand, a powerful tool for cybercriminals, who use it to improve the effectiveness of their attacks – optimization of malicious code, improvement of phishing methods , attack automation, … - ; and on the other hand, being a crucial ally for cybersecurity defences, the creation of more complete security policies, etc.
Wave of cyber-attacks in Spain
In recent weeks, important Spanish entities such as Banco Santander, Iberdrola and the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) have been the target of cyberattacks. These incidents have exposed sensitive data of millions of users, highlighting the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the need for continuous improvements in cybersecurity strategies.
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