Dilip Kuner
ANDALUCIA is set to roll out a free ‘cyber shield’ app in 2026 to stop children falling victim to porn, gambling and online fraud.
The announcement came from Junta supremo Antonio Sanz, who revealed the region was being hammered by more than 1,000 cyber attacks a month – all of them blocked at the Malaga-based Cybersecurity Centre.
Speaking at a high-powered business forum in Malaga’s Grand Hotel Miramar, Sanz said: “The internet is a door to knowledge but also to inappropriate content and serious risks. As parents, we all share a special concern for our children.”
The new app – billed as the first of its kind in Spain – will allow mums and dads to filter sites, track kids’ online activity in real time and spot threats ranging from fraud and bullying to grooming and violent content.
“It will be a free cyber shield parents can install, with smart filters to block inappropriate pages,” he explained.
The cyber chief also called on Madrid to do its bit, saying: “Adult websites should be properly controlled by the government, like they are in France and Italy.”
Sanz revealed Andalucia had already splashed out €40 million on cybersecurity and would now pump in another €34m, bringing the total spend to €74m.
The Malaga centre will soon extend its protection beyond regional government to town halls, ports, universities and even private firms. On top of that, a brand-new Andalucian Cybersecurity Agency will be set up to push the region to the forefront of Europe’s digital defences.
“We don’t just want to get on the train – we want to be the locomotive driving transformation in Spain,” said Sanz.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
