Malaga hosts the Andalusia Cybersecurity Congress, focused on cyberattacks in the healthcare area

FYCMA (Palace of Trade Fairs and Congresses of Málaga) will host the fourth edition of the Andalusia Cybersecurity Congress on April 2 and 3, an event already established as a benchmark in the sector's calendar, which will again bring together specialists and professionals to explore the latest trends in digital security. More than 3,000 professionals from the sector will gather at this fourth edition, which will be inaugurated by the Regional Minister of the Presidency, Interior, Social Dialogue and Administrative Simplification, Antonio Sanz, and the Mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre.

Under the motto 'Cybersecurity: protecting data, saving lives', this edition will particularly focus on initiatives that apply cybersecurity to health, an area where information protection is crucial given the particularly sensitive nature of the data handled in the healthcare sector. Specifically, it will address the guidelines outlined in the European action plan to strengthen the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers, launched in 2024 by the European Commission with the goal of creating a safer and more protected environment for patients.

To analyze these guidelines and their implementation in the Spanish healthcare system, the Congress will feature representatives from the health services of Catalonia, Madrid, La Rioja, Galicia, Castilla la Mancha, as well as the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) and other leading national entities. For example, one of the panel discussions will analyze real cases of cyberattacks on the healthcare sector, like the one that occurred in March 2023 at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, a sophisticated attack that forced the center to reschedule 150 non-urgent surgeries, 3,000 outpatient consultations, and 500 extractions due to inability to access patients' medical records.

Organized by the Digital Agency of Andalusia (ADA) through the CIAN (Andalusia Cybersecurity Center) and the City Council of Málaga through FYCMA, the Congress program includes specialized talks, panel discussions, colloquiums, and practical workshops designed to expand knowledge and strengthen connections with more than 3,000 specialists and professionals from the sector. Additionally, in the exhibition area, leading companies in the sector will share their innovations. In this edition, for the first time, the Congress will also hold workshops for the public in the Andalusia Cybersecurity Center.

Over two days, 23 presentations, nine panel discussions, and eleven practical workshops have been scheduled, a top-level program that makes Málaga the capital of digital security. Important figures and specialists in this field will pass through the Palace of Trade Fairs and Congresses of Málaga. One of the presentations will be given, via streaming, by the Acting Director of Digital Society, Trust, and Cybersecurity at the European Commission, Christiane Kirketerp de Viron.

The Palace of Trade Fairs and Congresses of Málaga will feature three distinct areas with parallel programming, an exhibition area of over 4,000 square meters with stands, a demonstration space, specific workshops, networking activities, and workspaces.