On Wednesday, Google launched its largest cybersecurity center in Europe in Malaga, southern Spain. The center is set to develop cybersecurity tools in collaboration with European institutions and companies, responding to the substantial increase in global cyber attacks. This marks Google’s third cybersecurity center in Europe, following specialized centers in Munich focusing on privacy and secrecy, and Dublin dedicated to content.
Kent Walker, Google’s Public Affairs Officer, highlighted that “global cyber attacks saw a 38% increase in 2022, with intruders becoming more aggressive, attempting to disrupt democratic stability. This underscores the importance of international collaboration.”
With the European Union facing a shortage of 500,000 experts, 46% of small and medium-sized European companies struggle to hire personnel, despite 43% of them falling victim to cyber attacks.
Deita Tcharanzova, Vice President of the European Parliament, expressed concern, stating, “The Union registers around 230,000 new malware infections daily.” She added, “We have strong indications that the upcoming European elections in June 2024 will be a target for deception and interference.”
Google aims to establish the Malaga center as a “global cybersecurity reference” through a collaborative effort involving public and private sectors, including European institutions, companies, universities, and governments.
In a related move, Google announced a $10 million grant to universities in eight European countries to bolster cybersecurity training. This commitment aligns with Google’s 2021 announcement of a $10 billion investment over five years to fortify the global cybersecurity infrastructure, recognizing it as a perpetual target for cyber threats.
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