At Aiuken Cybersecurity, we often say that Spain – but also Europe as a whole – is somewhat lagging behind when it comes to cybersecurity. The exponential expansion of cyberspace, the arrival of 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) simply cannot be handled by outdated security systems from the 1990s. We’re constantly hearing about the rise of cybercrime, but we still tend to think of it as something unlikely and improbable, something that could never happen to us.
Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the case and the chances of falling victim to cybercrime are increasing. According to the Aiuken Cybersecurity Observatory, 50% of all cyberattacks on FMCG retailers take place in just two months: the period between Black Friday (the last Friday in November) and the January sales.
The Observatory found that one in three ransomware attacks target their victims in three ways: via the various email platforms (19.1%), payment cards (6.3%) and e-commerce (5.6%). And while a lot of people still prefer hitting the January sales in person rather than online, Spanish shoppers are now overwhelmingly using digital payment methods.
According to police data, the number of cyberattacks in Spain nearly doubled between 2019 and 2022. While the pandemic may have fast-tracked technological change, it also opened up a wave of new opportunities for anyone from run-of-the-mill hackers, right through to organised crime.
Their targets are clear: personal email, card payments and e-commerce. Criminals will steal their victim’s identity or hijack their data, in order to steal their money without leaving a trace.
It’s time to wake up and take action. Businesses and institutions are the main target and should consider investing at least 10% of their IT budget in cybersecurity services. Similarly, public authorities should take advantage of the Next Generation funding to step up their fight against cybercrime, creating public-private funding mechanisms. The stakes are extremely high, and this is a threat that is only going to get worse.
About Aiuken Cybersecurity
Aiuken Cybersecurity is an international company based in Spain that protects large corporations, telecommunications systems and critical infrastructure. The company offers a full suite of state-of-the-art services: cyber threat detection, identification and protection, incident response and 24/7 implementation and management of the latest security systems.
