Back María Penilla discusses the advances and dangers of AI in the business sector at the Women4Cyber ​​Euskadi congress

2026 / 03 / 06
Zibersegurtasunean emakumezkoen talentua sustatzearen garrantzia ere azpimarratu du Bilbon burututako topaketan.

María Penilla discusses the advances and dangers of AI in the business sector at the Women4Cyber ​​Euskadi congress

During the event held in Bilbao, she also highlighted the importance of increasing the number of women in cybersecurity

The director of ZIUR, María Penilla, participated this Thursday in the event organized by Women4Cyber ​​Euskadi in Bilbao, where she analyzed the impact that artificial intelligence is having on the business environment. Within the framework of the event, held under the theme “Breaking down barriers, building cyber resilience,” Penilla highlighted both the opportunities that these technologies offer to boost efficiency and innovation in organizations and the new challenges they pose in terms of cybersecurity.

During her presentation, she also emphasized the importance of continuing to advance the inclusion and visibility of women in a strategic field such as cybersecurity, underscoring the key role that diversity and collaboration play in strengthening the digital resilience of companies and institutions.

Penilla highlighted a reality increasingly shared by cybersecurity professionals: “Many Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) assume that taking on more responsibilities is the natural path to professional growth. However, this perception can be misleading: often, increased responsibilities are not accompanied by the necessary resources, budget, or organizational support to successfully meet the challenges involved.”

Furthermore, she emphasized that “this situation can significantly increase the personal and professional risk for CISOs. When organizations expand the scope of their responsibilities without strengthening support structures, these professionals become more vulnerable and are held accountable when security incidents or breaches occur.”

Penilla added that “in a context of increasing digital complexity, CISOs have never before faced such a delicate balance between leadership opportunities and risks associated with their strategic role within organizations.” She concluded her remarks by stressing that “the only thing more difficult than defending against a cyberattack is explaining to your executives and clients why you weren't protected from the outset, since it takes 20 years to build a reputation and only a few minutes—the duration of a cybersecurity incident—to ruin it.”

The event, organized by Women4Cyber ​​Spain, aims to promote the participation and visibility of female talent in the field of cybersecurity, contributing to the development of a more diverse, innovative, and resilient digital ecosystem. This initiative is part of the European Women4Cyber ​​network, promoted by the European Cybersecurity Organisation, whose objective is to promote the presence of women in a sector that is strategic for digital transformation.