Santa Cruz de Tenerife Boosts Cybersecurity Defenses Amid Rising Digital Threats

As digital threats become more sophisticated, local governments are stepping up their defenses. Data from the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council highlights the constant pressure on the city’s IT systems: over the past year, the Cybersecurity Operations Center blocked more than 114,500 malicious emails, averaging 300 intrusion attempts every day.

The city’s digital security report shows a changing landscape. While there were 1,653 alerts last year, the current year has already seen 113 incidents, primarily involving phishing and malware designed to steal sensitive data. To combat this, the local government has set aside an annual budget of 350,000 euros for system protection. This investment is supported by the National Cryptologic Center and a new agreement with the regional government to ensure a rapid response to any security breaches.

These issues will take center stage at the 13th Hackron congress, held on May 15 at the Auditorio de Tenerife. The event will bring together experts and tech leaders to discuss how Artificial Intelligence is changing cybercrime. A highlight of the opening day will be a live crisis management simulation, where Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez will make real-time decisions during a mock cyberattack. The exercise aims to show the difficulty of managing such crises, emphasizing that paying ransoms is rarely a reliable way to recover data.

Juan José Martínez, the Minister of Innovation for the Tenerife Island Council, stressed that cybersecurity is now a key part of modern geopolitics. Organized by Igor Lukic and Manuel Pérez, the congress aims to evaluate the state of public cyber defense and improve training for municipal staff—a vital step in protecting the city from an increasingly hostile digital environment.