The government will promote the use of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity
The impact of AI on cybersecurity is significant and encompasses areas in prevention and incident response, as detailed in the government's Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2024. On the one hand, advances in AI are challenging, but on the other they provide tools that improve advanced threat prevention and detection through predictive modelling.
Spain starts from a good position, as it is the third European country, after the United Kingdom and Estonia, in the global cybersecurity index (GCI) evaluated by the United Nations. Based on this good starting point, the government is considering lines of action to further strengthen cybersecurity in the context of AI development, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by this technology.
In the European and national legal context, the Cybersecurity Law is a government initiative to establish legislation that provides a clear and comprehensive framework for the implementation of national cybersecurity by improving the protection of the country’s information systems, networks and data. "Faced with the growing challenges of the digital world in today's different scenarios, there must be a standard that addresses all elements of cybersecurity, from training and investment to strengthening security to improving incident response capabilities," the government strategy details.
This initiative proposes a national cybersecurity governance framework that establishes the set of policies, processes, organisational structures and oversight mechanisms needed to implement appropriate security controls. "Coordination between the different public and private actors within this framework is essential to ensure an effective and unified response to cybersecurity incidents. This framework also articulates the different measures needed to improve the national cybersecurity life cycle."
Driving the ecosystem with AI
Driving the national corporate ecosystem of AI-enabled cybersecurity development is critical to strengthening cybersecurity and protecting the country's digital assets. Therefore, a set of actions are proposed to be developed in the framework of this initiative to foster innovation, collaboration and the adoption of AI technologies in the field of cybersecurity. "For initiatives specifically linked to the combination of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, INCIBE has mobilised investments of some 12 million euros. It also has an additional item of 48 million for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence programmes in its fourth Innovative Public Procurement Programme.