The current geopolitical context has resulted in a significant 43% increase in cyberattacks targeting so-called essential operators in Spain, according to an analysis conducted by the Spanish technology company Pandora FMS based on reports from the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE). Among the most affected sectors are transportation and finance, which account for 24.6% and 23.8% of the recorded incidents, respectively, as reported by the portal OpenSecurity.
According to experts, this trend highlights the urgent need to strengthen technological systems. “Current geopolitical tensions compel the implementation of more robust and secure IT systems,” stress representatives from Pandora FMS.
In accordance with the new NIS2 directive and INCIBE’s classification, essential and important operators are entities whose activities are crucial for the proper functioning of society, such as transportation, energy, or communication services.
While nearly 240 incidents were recorded in such infrastructures in 2023, the number has escalated to 341 in 2024, reflecting a concerning increase that demands a coordinated response in cybersecurity.
“Criminals primarily seek to steal data and information to demand a ransom or sell it on the black market. However, it’s essential to consider that paralyzing a company’s operations can have far more significant consequences than simply obtaining that data—both economically and in terms of the functioning of society,” explains Sancho Lerena, CEO of Pandora FMS and an expert in IT management and security.
Based on the company’s analysis, incidents in key sectors have varied compared to 2023. In that year, the financial and tax sector accounted for the highest percentage of incidents at nearly 25.5%. This year, however, it has reduced its share to 23.8%, making it the second sector in 2024.
This time, the leading sector is transportation, which, although it was second last year with 25% of incidents, now holds the most incidents while reducing its percentage to 24.6%. Attacks on the ICT sector have also decreased, dropping from 18.3% to just over 14%. Similarly, the energy sector now represents only 8.8%, compared to over 22% of incidents it experienced in 2023. The water sector is the only one showing slight growth, increasing from 4.5% to 5% of the figures analyzed by INCIBE in 2024.
Experts emphasize that these figures highlight the importance of cybersecurity and the necessity of implementing strong and updated systems today. However, they note that beyond the evolution of the numbers, these cyberattacks are increasingly having a greater impact. “Regardless of whether they increase or decrease, it is evident that they are becoming much more significant and are quite serious,” Lerena points out.
Furthermore, the head of Pandora FMS underscores the need for IT independence throughout Europe from American companies. “Cloud, Big Data, and AI systems are supplied to us by North American companies. In this geopolitical landscape, it is necessary to have independence because interests can shift at any moment,” Lerena emphasizes.
For the expert, in addition to cybersecurity, it is “essential to proactively monitor critical infrastructures to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks in real time, maintaining service continuity and reducing the impact on users and customers.”