ZIUR grants more than 1.4 million euros to industrial companies in Gipuzkoa in its five years of operation
ZIUR grants more than 1.4 million euros to industrial companies in Gipuzkoa in its five years of operation
The latest ZIUR Cyber Intelligence Report warns that 93,103 computers exposed to the Internet have been identified in the Basque Country
Cybersecurity has become a key element to guarantee the competitiveness of industrial companies in Gipuzkoa, which are increasingly suffering more effective and sophisticated attacks. Aware of this challenge, the ZIUR centre works, together with the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, to guarantee the tools that the territory needs in this area.
In these five years of operation, ZIUR has granted around 1.4 million euros in aid and subsidies to Gipuzkoan companies to strengthen their cybersecurity, 26.5% of them in the last year. Likewise, since the centre opened its doors, it has established itself as a benchmark in the field of cybersecurity in the Basque Country and has offered workshops on this subject, held more than 50 sessions with Local Development Agencies and business associations in which more than 700 people have participated, carried out 22 projects with 115 companies and advised 140 SMEs from its technical department. In total, it has directly reached more than 1,250 companies with its services.
“Protecting the industry means protecting quality employment, the generation of wealth and, ultimately, a high level of well-being for society. Therefore, helping companies in the territory to be stronger in cybersecurity, to have expert knowledge on where and how to invest in this area, to reduce the digital gap with respect to other countries and to be, ultimately, more competitive is one of our main objectives,” said the Provincial Deputy for Economy and Strategic Projects, Ane Insausti.
More than 93,000 computers exposed in the Basque Country
ZIUR's latest Cyber Intelligence Report, which refers to the third quarter of 2024, reveals worrying data: Spain has suffered an "unprecedented" impact of hackers and has become the third most affected country in the world by hacktivism. In this sense, the arrest of members of a hacker network and the subsequent creation of the 'Holy League' by 70 pro-Russian hacktivists have seriously compromised cybersecurity in Spain.
This, without a doubt, is also reflected in the Basque Country. Through the use of mass network scanning tools, ZIUR has identified 93,103 computers exposed to the Internet in the Basque Country, as highlighted in its report. The document also reveals that the main vulnerability identified, known as 'Freak', allows an attacker to decrypt secure communications between vulnerable clients and servers, which seriously compromises the cybersecurity of the organization.
Likewise, the Cyber Intelligence Report also warns of campaigns perpetrated by a Chinese group against transport, logistics, technology and automotive sectors in Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, Taiwan and Thailand, and another phishing campaign against the mining and manufacturing sectors, both historically relevant in the Basque Country and, specifically, the latter in Gipuzkoa.
6,990 Gipuzkoan companies suffered a cyber incident in 2023
Cybersecurity has acquired capital relevance, as the data supports: in 2023, nearly 6,990 Gipuzkoan companies suffered an incident in this field, a figure that “is increasing,” as warned by the director of ZIUR, María Penilla.
“The rise of Artificial Intelligence has meant an extraordinary technological leap in multiple sectors, including industrial cybersecurity. We are now able to detect threats proactively and provide a faster and more automated response. However, AI has also made it easier for cybercriminals to launch more massive and effective attacks, which is why at ZIUR we must further strengthen our work and support companies in Gipuzkoa to adapt their cybersecurity protocols and investments to defend themselves against a phenomenon that will continue to increase," says Penilla.