Cybersecurity is a pending task for many companies and institutions in Spain, as evidenced by the health crisis, during which our lifestyle changed, resulting in a significant increase in our online interactions. This has led to a rise in small and large-scale cyber-attacks.

According to a report by a cloud security company, Datos101, there are around 40,000 cyberattacks per day in Spain. Cybercriminals identify the vulnerabilities of companies and use them to attack, blackmail and demand financial ransom for their data. As contradictory as it may seem, government administrations are becoming an easy prey for this type of crime, as we have seen months ago when the Public Employment Service (SEPE) was attacked and its data was blocked by a RYUK ransomware.

Importance of cybersecurity training

One of the major shortcomings of companies is the lack of awareness and staff training in IT security. That is why initiatives such as those organized by the National Police through the C1b3rwall Academy training program, provide a platform for experts to discuss important topics, such as cybersecurity and recommendations to protect against cyberattacks, as well as the application of other technologies such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence or the Internet of Things.

You can learn more about the C1b3rwall Academy training program at the following link: https://news-365.press/c1b3rwall-academy-2021-un-curso-gratuito-con-expertos-en-ciberseguridad-blockchain-y-criptomonedas

For now, module 0, an introductory module with more than 50 presentations and specialists from different fields, is currently underway. The training is proving to be a great success, with more than 20,000 registered participants from both Spain and Latin America, who will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of this subject with another 15 modules that will start next September.

This initiative has been a challenge for our Research Group BISITE, as we are participating in its organization together with the University of Salamanca and the National Police. The response from the attendees has been gratifying and we hope to continue in this direction in order to contribute to the training of society in computer security.

Posted by Juan M. Corchado

Juan Manuel Corchado (15 May 1971, Salamanca, Spain) is Professor at the University of Salamanca. He has been Vice-Rector for Research from 2013 to 2017 and Director of the Science Park of the University of Salamanca. Elected as Dean of the Faculty of Science twice, he holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Salamanca and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of the West of Scotland. He leads the renowned BISITE (Bioinformatics, Intelligent Systems and Educational Technology) Research Group, created in 2000. Director of the IoT Digital Innovation Hub and President of the AIR Institute, J. M. Corchado is also Visiting Professor at the Osaka Institute of Technology since January 2015, Visiting Professor at the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and Member of the Advisory Group on Online Terrorist Propaganda of the European Counter Terrorism Centre (EUROPOL). J. M. Corchado has been president of the IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Society, and academic coordinator of the University Institute for Research in Art and Animation Technology at the University of Salamanca, as well as researcher at the Universities of Paisley (UK), Vigo (Spain) and the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (UK). He currently combines all his activity with the direction of Master programmes in Security, Digital Animation, Mobile Telephony, Information Systems Management, Internet of Things, Social Media, 3D Design and Printing, Blockchain, Z System, Industry 4.0, Agile Project Management, and Smart Cities & Intelligent Buildings, at the University of Salamanca and his work as editor-in-chief of the journals ADCAIJ (Advances in Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence Journal), OJCST (Oriental Journal of Computer Science and Technology) or Electronics MDPI (Computer Science & Engineering section). J. M. Corchado mainly works on projects related to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, IoT, Fog Computing, Edge Computing, Smart Cities, Smart Grids and Sentiment Analysis. He has recently been included in the board of trustees of the AstraZeneca Foundation, along with other health professionals and researchers recognised for bringing scientific knowledge closer to society.