Cyberattacks on Spanish companies have increased over the last six months, causing our country to enter the top 5 countries most affected by cyberthreats in the world.
Spain is now the fifth most affected country worldwide by ransomware (computer viruses that hijack company data to demand a ransom), with a total of 58 attacks of this type recorded in the last six months, 23% more than in the same period last year. This is according to the latest ‘Threat Landscape Report’ by the European cybersecurity company S21sec, in which Spain has risen 3 places due to this increase in attacks.
Ahead of Spain, we find that the countries that receive the most threats are the United States, with more than 1,000 attacks, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, the most affected countries in Europe with 136, 84 and 70 attacks respectively.
In terms of threat types, those of the LockBit cybercriminal group continue to wreak havoc among companies. LockBit is the most prominent with a total of 18 registered attacks, followed by Ransomhub with 8, and Cactus with 5.
Ransomware attacks can cause significant financial losses for affected companies by restricting access to the infected operating system and demanding a ransom in exchange for removing this limitation. During the first half of 2024, the manufacturing sector was the most affected, with a total of 757 attacks, followed by consulting with 263 attacks and, in third place, the services sector with 170.
According to S21sec, cyberattacks of this type have increased significantly in the last two years. Compared to 1,466 attacks recorded worldwide during the first half of 2022, a total of 2,175 ransomware attacks have been recorded in the first six months of 2024, which represents an increase of 48%. In addition, the number of new ransomware families (variations of the computer virus) has also gradually increased.
Geopolitical conflict moves into cyberspace
The cybersecurity firm also indicates that it has been possible to verify how the conflicts in Russia and Ukraine and the Middle East have increased the number of cyberattacks in the world. “Pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian hacktivist groups have directed their attacks against states that support their adversaries, focusing on government websites, companies and individuals,” they say, detailing that it has been Russian actors who have mainly launched cyberattacks on countries allied to Ukraine.
Regarding the Israel/Hamas war, S21c notes that there have been up to 70 hacktivist groups operating in cyberspace in defense of Palestine, compared to 25 pro-Israel cybercriminal organizations. These attacks have targeted the energy sectors of several countries, but also the education sector and the media.
Cybercriminal groups often use Telegram or Dark Web forums to communicate, cooperating with the aim of causing economic damage between countries aligned in favor of the enemy. In this way, “cyber tactics complement conventional military actions, expanding the scope of the damage caused in key sectors for the stability of countries.”
