The Spanish government has taken a stance against cyber crime and pledged to take stronger measures against it. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced that the police force will be provided with additional personnel, funding, and resources to tackle online crime. He reported that the number of cases of cyber crime in the country has risen 72% in 2020 compared to 2019 and 352% compared to 2015. Currently, one out of every five crimes committed in Spain takes place online.
Grande-Marlaska stated that almost 90% of the reported cybercrimes last year involved online fraud schemes, which have a significant and detrimental impact on national interests, institutions, companies, and citizens. To reinforce national security online, the defense minister approved the establishment of a new military cyberoperations training school.
According to data from ESET, a specialist in antivirus protection, Spain is one of the countries that experience the highest number of remote online attacks in the world, with small businesses being the most affected. José Cano, Research Director at IDC Spain, pointed out that the shortage of talent and skills has left Spanish businesses vulnerable to the evolving sophistication of online criminals who are constantly innovating to bypass security measures such as multi-factor authentication.
Cano emphasized that cyber-resilience is not only about protecting the value of a company and reducing business risk but also about ensuring national economic security. He stated that European companies, particularly Spanish companies, will increasingly include cyber-resilience planning in their business and security strategies.
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Author: Associated Press
