Cybersecurity Culture: a fundamental pillar in a digitalized society
By Luis Enrique Sánchez, Hired Professor Doctor at ESI-UCLM.
Currently, the security of information systems has taken on critical importance for society in general. Not only are companies suffering the consequences of security failures, citizens are also suffering, directly through digital services that do not stop growing, and indirectly through the constant attacks suffered by critical infrastructures that provide essential services. to society.
A study conducted by the Surfshark consulting, showed that, during the first half of 2023, more than 110 million accounts had been affected by hacks, with Spain being the third most affected country in the world with 3.7 million leaked accounts, only behind Russia and the United States. Added to this is that according to the cybersecurity company Avast, 2023 is being the year with the most cyberattacks in the last five years, with those related to Social Engineering taking on special relevance, which accounted for more than 25% of the attacks carried out.
We must keep in mind that we have entered the era of Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence, in which we have given increasing control to software devices to direct crucial aspects of our lives. Today, for example, a water purification plant is managed through a SCADA device that can suffer a cyber attack and cause the composition levels of the water to be altered, making it non-potable or even poisonous. While this may sound very dramatic, it is actually a reality that various countries have already suffered, as well as attacks on their health systems, critical energy systems, nuclear power plants, etc.
Added to this is that the new generations are digital natives, which makes them less afraid of using new technologies. Nowadays, it is very common to see young people who have all their data shared in the cloud, even information that poses a risk to them if it falls into the wrong hands. But this trust is not always justified, nor is it appropriate, since most do not question whether the security measures that protect their data are adequate, or what would happen if that data is stolen by a third party.
The reality is that, in a digital world, surrounded by cities, cars, homes and industries that are controlled by smart devices, cybersecurity plays a crucial role, and requires that society have, on the one hand, an adequate level of security culture. security, and on the other hand a capacity to generate cybersecurity engineers who are capable of making these smart devices also secure devices.
Creating a culture of safety among citizens is everyone's job. The government makes efforts through organizations such as the INCIBE in creating that culture of security, but it requires perseverance to make citizens understand that protecting their digital space is as important as defending their material assets.
Universities, in collaboration with institutions such as INCIBE, are also fighting to create quality engineers in the field of cybersecurity and cover a deficit that, according to INCIBE itself, in 2023 is 30.000 experts, and which may exceed 80.000 in 2024.
We are facing a crossroads, in which society, in order to continue advancing in the digital age, needs to have a true defense, of which all citizens are a part, and in which engineers with knowledge in cybersecurity will be in the front row.
From the Higher School of Informatics of Ciudad Real, at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, we strive every day to provide quality training, which results in a continuous flow of engineers, with diverse profiles, to the professional field. In some of these profiles, a priority challenge is the acquisition of technological skills and abilities to defend society from the continuous attacks it suffers and to ensure that a sustainable digital society can continue to be built, in which citizens can advance safely.
Luis Enrique Sanchez Crespo
Associate Professor
ESI-UCLM (https://esi.uclm.es)
National Network of Excellence for Research in Cybersecurity
