José Antonio Nieto, Andalusia’s regional minister for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Development and Public Administration, said the region’s Security Operations Centre managed 34% more cyberattacks in the first half of 2026 than during the same period in 2025. He made the announcement during his first official visit to the Andalusia Cybersecurity Centre (CIAN) in Málaga on Wednesday, 29 July.
Nieto said his department is working on the Andalusian Cybersecurity Strategy for 2027–2030, which will follow the recently renewed 2022–2026 strategy. The CIAN was launched by the Andalusia Digital Agency (ADA) in November 2023 and is the principal body responsible for implementing the current strategy. Its central role is to coordinate the regional administration’s cybersecurity capabilities and extend cybersecurity work to regional and local authorities, businesses and individuals.
The CIAN coordinates the regional government’s Security Operations Centre (SOC), which serves 129 entities, including 82 regional government bodies, provincial councils, universities, town councils and local public companies. In the first half of 2026, the SOC managed 9,286 cyberattacks, including 109 involving Málaga City Council. That amounts to an average of 1,550 incidents a month and more than 50 a day.
Most events recorded during the period were classified as medium risk (48.7%) or high risk (30.7%); 0.9% were rated very high risk. The most common types were information compromise (33%), driven mainly by stolen credentials, and harmful content (24.7%), mostly associated with systems infected by malware.
Nieto said the rising incident count reflected improved protection and earlier detection. He said the 2027–2030 strategy would address a more demanding environment shaped by new European regulations and international challenges, with artificial intelligence as a central focus. The strategy is also expected to expand public information, training and awareness efforts. Nieto said the aim was for AI to be an ally in strengthening cybersecurity, while acknowledging that security can never be complete.
He also cited ADA’s planned cybersecurity investment of €21 million in 2026, saying it was intended to strengthen governance structures and position Andalusia as a leader nationally and internationally.