In recent years, to that which takes place in the digital environment, we must add conventional crime. In terms of cybercrime, Spain actually faces a level of threat similar to that of the European environment, with frequent risks and very varied characteristics. Without going any further, the National Institute of Cybersecurity (INCIBE) has recorded more than 83,517 attacks in 2023. No organization or person, regardless of its sector and size, can be safe from an attack. These can have many formats and entry points: from a message of phishingto cracks in the supply chain, through terrorist activities, geopolitical social engineering mechanisms or organized gangs of ransomware.
In this sense, according to the CrowdStrike 2024 Global Threat Report, 1,700 cyberattacks occur every minute worldwide. In its latest report, the North American company warns that it has identified “more than 230 individuals and organizations specialized in computer attacks.” Cloud intrusions “have increased by 75%,” while the number of victims of data theft in the Dark web “It’s increased by 76%.”
At this point, beyond the efforts of companies, users themselves must also act in this sense. Cybersecurity is an issue on which the whole of society must collaborate. However, in most cases, citizens are not aware that it is essential to be informed, but also to be digitally educated and trained to be well protected. Precisely, with these three elements as a banner, Banco Santander strives to provide the population with knowledge, tools and behaviors that allow them to face the scourge of cybercrime. How? Through their proposals and initiatives that can make everyone an expert:
Titania is the first fiction podcast from Banco Santander, presented by Podium Podcast. Through this audio thriller, the entity wants to entertain the listener while seeking to teach what cybersecurity is, what the most common dangers are and provide the best tips to avoid digital fraud. The project will soon release its second season after the first reached more than a million and a half downloads.
For SMEs, Banco Santander has made available a platform called Cyber Guardian which allows to diagnose the level of security of the company, to protect against threats, to simulate security attacks phishing or work on awareness to prevent attacks.
INCIBE (National Institute of Cybersecurity) and the Universia Foundation have launched the program Cyber skillsa training program for the unemployed that aims to “improve their digital skills in cybersecurity or retrain their professional knowledge to change professional field, in order to increase their level of employability in a high-demand employment sector”, as their address specifies.
Other training online organized by Banco Santander, this time in the form of an interactive adventure, is Cyber HeroThis initiative aims to influence the most relevant aspects of cybersecurity, those that affect anyone who browses the Internet, with the help of Sandra and her family, through daily challenges that test the user’s level of knowledge.
Finally, regardless of training and campaigns, the best advice for navigating digital life safely is to use logic and common sense. In most cases, it is enough to check that a communication comes from a real company and with a correct URL, to use secure and different passwords for each service or simply to be discreet when browsing. online. In the case of companies, it seems essential to train workers, use authentication methods, update software or make backup copies periodically. In a few simple steps, brick by brick, you can build an unbreakable wall that protects you from cybercriminals.
