The Generalitat detects 25 million cyberattack attempts per day against its systems

BarcelonaEvery day, the Generalitat and public companies receive about 25 million attempted attacks against their databases. In total, last year 9.1 billion threats were detected, 32% more than in 2024, according to the latest report from the Catalan Cybersecurity Agency, an organization that protects the public sector and which emphasizes, however, that 80% of the attempts were automatically blocked thanks to the various security barriers deployed in computer systems.

Thus, of these 2,200 attacks that managed to bypass all security mechanisms, the Agency had to manage 6,544 cyberincidents, most with low impact, mainly related to credential leaks, breaches, or illegitimate access to personal or corporate accounts of the Catalan administration and institutions. This figure represents almost double the activity of the previous year, with 3,372 incidents recorded.

Six out of ten attacks occurred against universities, followed by institutions in the healthcare sector, the second most affected sector. The Agency's director, Laura Caballero, has attributed the vulnerability of universities to them being very diverse environments, where software is downloaded that "can sometimes contain malicious programs" that obtain passwords and credentials from the community.

the use of artificial intelligence, due to its enormous capacity to detect errors in a few minutesThe human factor

Despite security improvements, Caballero has stressed that the human factor has a high incidence, and has pointed out that up to 80% of incidents are related to human errors. In 2025, the Agency initiated a record investment of over 18 million euros and 27 actions to strengthen the protection, prevention, and preparedness of the Generalitat against digital threats in all key areas of society. Among the strategic lines of the plan, the protection of critical services, the reinforcement of the healthcare system, the promotion of digital talent, and progress in the face of new technologies stand out.

As imminent threats, Caballero has warned about the impact of the use of artificial intelligence, due to its enormous capacity to detect errors in minutes and system vulnerabilities, as well as quantum computing, with the power to break all current encryption systems. "We are facing a paradigm shift that forces us to stay ahead," said Caballero, who warned that "zero risk does not exist and we must also work on recovery" after attacks or incidents. The Cybersecurity Agency currently protects 331 entities, including 8 public universities, 68 hospitals, and all departments of the Generalitat, and has reinforced citizen awareness campaigns in response to the increase in cyber scams.