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• According to a survey conducted by the cybersecurity company S2 Grupo, 16% of the people who participated in this study said that although they have not experienced this situation, they do know someone who has.

• Along with this, 16% said that they love to share their vacation photos in real time, 5.5% more than in 2020. This data shows that, although there is a growing awareness of the importance of cyberprotection on social networks, there is still work to be done.

Valencia, July 27, 2022 – The Valencian company S2 Grupo, specialized in cybersecurity as well as cyberintelligence and critical systems management, has conducted a survey on cybersecurity on vacations. One of the main findings is that 11% of those surveyed claim that they have been victims of cybercrime by having booked their vacations online.

In addition, 16% say that, although they have not suffered this type of incident, they have people in their close circle who have fallen into the traps of online criminals.

“In this area, cybercrime has focused mainly on vacation rental accommodations and car rentals. To avoid falling into their nets, it is important that we follow some good habits such as doubting a lot of bargains, this can already give us a clue that something is wrong. Or other recommendations are to detect many spelling mistakes on the web, make sure there is a contact phone number or do a Google search with that accommodation or car rental company to detect if there are negative opinions or complaints about it“, explained José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

Another essential point in relation to cybersecurity and vacations is the issue of sharing photos when we are away, as this can give a lot of information that we are not at home that can be used by cybercriminals.

In relation to this, 16% of respondents answered that they do like to share photos on their social networks in real time when they are traveling. However, to the same question, the response in the 2020 survey was 21.5%. 18% prefer to wait until they return home to share them.

“These data are relatively positive because they show an increase in cybersecurity awareness and culture in families. However, there is still work to be done in this area to safely use technology. It is important to remember to be careful when using public Wi-fis and not to access personal pages of banks or even social networks because these could be manipulated by cybercriminals who would have direct access to our data“, said Miguel A. Juan, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

In addition, other recommendations are not to activate geopositioning in social networks, if we install tourist apps, check the permissions they request and monitor those that may be suspicious such as sending SMS messages, or reinforce the security of our devices by installing protection measures to prevent the thief from accessing the data in the event of theft and facilitate its recovery. For example, a complex unlocking key can be used. Any device has these capabilities and although they are not usually used, vacations are a good time to do so. In addition, it is advisable to install an application that facilitates recovery in case of theft or loss. Most manufacturers have such applications that allow, in addition to locating it, to remotely erase the data and perform many other actions.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es

• S2 Grupo has pointed out that organized international cybercrime groups use this social network to obtain money or data through cyber espionage.

• Experts from the cybersecurity company have warned that there are currently numerous cases of phishing through LinkedIN.

• The modus operandi of cybercriminals in this environment usually follows four steps: study of the victim, tailored approach, generation of trust and delivery of the malware.

Valencia, July 12, 2022.- The Valencian company S2 Grupo, specialized in cybersecurity as well as cyberintelligence and critical systems management, has warned that cybercriminals are increasingly active in social networks, such as Linkedin, which puts people and the environments in which they work in a vulnerable situation.

“The goal of cybercriminals is always the same, to get money or obtain data, because information is worth a lot of money. Many people think that phishing cases can only happen through phishing email, spoofing and malicious links, but this is not the case. This has become more sophisticated and we also find cases of phishing on LinkedIN, for example“, explained José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

“There are cybercrime groups such as the Korean Lazarus that, precisely, make intensive use of networks such as LinkedIN to generate a first contact with their victims. This requires us to take extreme precautions in the use of these social networks to avoid falling into their trap, which is often oriented towards cyber espionage“, said Miguel A. Juan, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

The cybersecurity company’s team of experts has pointed out that the modus operandi of these cybercrime groups is usually as follows:

1. First, they make a study of the target profile. They analyze the victim in order to approach them “without suspicion”. In this way, they study their interests, their environment, contacts, the company they belong to, etc.

• The second step is to make a tailor-made approach. “With the victim studied, a message is sent or an initial tailored contact is made. For example, if my interests are X or my job is Y, depending on my profile, the approach will be appropriate to that job, interests, profile, etc. This will increase the chances of success,” assured José Rosell.

• Thirdly, trust is key. Cybercriminal groups initiate an exchange of seemingly innocuous messages to gain the victim’s trust.

• The fourth step is the delivery. Once contact has been established, and there is a certain degree of trust and confidence in the conversation, they take the opportunity to send a malicious code. This message may include attachments or links that allow the cybercriminal to take full control (for example, by deploying a RAT, software capable of spying on and monitoring the infected computer) or partial control (for example, by capturing valid credentials) of the victim.

More information: prensa@s2grupo.es

• Company experts have stressed that, just as we know how to protect our cards or money in the physical world, it is also essential to be aware of how to do it with our bank details in the online world.
• Verifying that we are on the official page where we want to buy, not storing our payment data or activating the double authentication factor when paying, are just some habits that will be of great help to avoid falling into the nets of cyber-scammers.

Valencia, June 27, 2022.- The Valencian company S2 Grupo, specialized in cybersecurity as well as cyberintelligence and critical systems management, has warned that with the arrival of the sales season there is an increase in online shopping and, accordingly, in cybercrime activity.

“The online world has transformed consumer habits, every year the amount of online shopping we do is increasing and yet very few people take the precaution of protecting their banking data on the Internet. This is essential, we must be aware that just as it is important to protect our money or cards on a physical level, we must do the same with them in digital environments“, explained José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

“Cybercrime is continually refining its methods of action in order to gain access to our banking data in a more subtle way. For this, we must know guidelines to make safe online purchases and that do not put us in an extremely vulnerable position against the cyberattacker. Verifying that we are on the official page where we want to buy, not storing our payment data or activating the double authentication factor when paying, are just some habits that will be of great help“, said Miguel A. Juan, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

How to protect our banking data?

1. Verify that the web portal we are visiting is legitimate and there is no danger of fraud – To do this, we only have to check the web address meticulously and verify that it is the official one. In many cases, they change a simple letter of the web address thus supplanting the identity of the official store without the user realizing it, and if they do not pay attention to this, they may believe they are in the real store.
2. Make sure that the web address begins with https and has a closed padlock next to it. If instead the legend “It is not safe” or a sign of danger appears, it is not advisable to continue browsing in that website.
3. Other security measures that protect banking data, even when we are not shopping, are the activation of the double authentication factor in the applications or websites of stores where we shop.
4. Safe surfing and malicious links – Avoid websites with exorbitant discounts and offers. These sites usually contain malicious links that lead to fake shopping pages. The objective is twofold: to get our bank details and keep the money from a fake purchase.   
5. Research: It is always interesting to check the return policy of the place where we are going to buy, their contact information, look for opinions of the purchase experience of other users, etc.
6. To avoid virtual theft of cards, it is advisable not to store our payment data in the places we use most often or to which we are subscribed such as Netflix, Spotify or Amazon. Although it is very convenient to do so, with this action we put our banking data at risk if we do not protect those accounts with adequate security measures. The main thing will be to establish a good password. Different from all the others we use and robust. In addition, it is necessary to activate the double authentication factor in all the services that allow it. Thus, if someone steals the password, when trying to enter the service, you will be asked for a single-use code to confirm that you are the owner of the account. This code will be sent only to us, either by SMS, email or through an application, so that the access data will be protected.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es

• S2 Grupo’s aim in opening this new office is to increase its presence in the European OT cybersecurity field.
• S2 Grupo’s presence in Europe is reinforced by its role as one of the founding members of ECSO (European Cybersecurity Association) and by being part of the Partnership Board of this association, which is the body in charge of collaborating with the European Commission for the definition of the R&D strategy in cybersecurity for the coming years.

Valencia, June 13, 2022-The Valencian company S2 Grupo, specialized in cybersecurity as well as cyberintelligence and critical systems management, is committed to the development of its activity in Europe by opening new headquarters in Rotterdam. In addition to this and its different centers in Spain, the company also has offices in Brussels and Lisbon.

S2 Grupo has become an international benchmark in the field of cybersecurity and currently works for leading companies in the Distribution, Energy, Banking and Insurance, Healthcare, Industry and Public Administration sectors. In addition, its presence in Europe is reinforced by its role as one of the founding members of ECSO (European Cybersecurity Association) and by being part of the Partnership Board of this association, which is the body in charge of collaborating with the European Commission in the definition of the R&D strategy in cybersecurity for the coming years.

The new headquarters in Rotterdam will be managed by Régis Cazenave, a Frenchman who has spent a large part of his career in Spain. He has been appointed delegate of S2 Grupo in France and Holland. Régis has extensive professional experience in the field of cybersecurity, both in IT and OT, and Artificial Intelligence, Software as a Service (SaaS), Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0, among other areas.

In addition, Règis Cazenave has a solid track record in developing new business, scaling up operations and geographically expanding blue-chip companies around the world.

“One of S2 Grupo’s objectives is to continue our growth process by increasing our presence in the OT field, i.e. in cybersecurity in control systems both in industry and other sectors in Europe. And this is precisely the purpose of the commitment to this new headquarters in Rotterdam,” explained José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

“S2 Grupo’s engagement with the growth of cybersecurity on this continent is one of the company’s main axes because achieving technological independence from other large companies is essential. Even more so, in a context in which we have seen how cyber espionage and cyber wars between countries are a fact of life. For this reason, our commitment is also reflected in our continuous participation in the development of important R&D+i projects in the sector in Europe“, said Miguel A. Juan, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

More information: 

prensa@s2grupo.es

• For S2 Grupo, the objective with this new addition to its team in Madrid is to consolidate the company’s growth in the central area of Spain.

Valencia, May 30, 2022 – S2 Grupo, a company specialized in cybersecurity and critical systems management, has continued with its plan to expand its sales team with the incorporation of José Luis López Juárez. He will be part of the headquarters that S2 Grupo has in Madrid.

Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, he has extensive experience in the technology and services integration sector. His professional career has been focused on the integration and sale of infrastructure solutions and network services, convergent communications, cybersecurity, Data Center and Cloud.

José Luis López began his career in the Diverse Activities area of Sintel, a subsidiary of Telefónica. Since 1998 he has worked in different technical, service management, pre-sales and commercial positions in Comparex, Dimension Data and NTT for B2B customers in various sectors such as industry, utilities, banking and insurance, and mainly service providers.

The objective of S2 Grupo with this new incorporation is to consolidate its growth in the central area of Spain. José Luis López’ activity will be oriented towards the development of sales strategy and execution with the company’s management, suppliers, solution design, project management, professional and managed services.

S2 Grupo closed 2021 with a turnover of €25 million, a growth of more than 27% over the previous year, and a workforce of 459 employees.

Since its formation in 1999, S2 Grupo has become a benchmark company in the security sector on an international scale. Its clients include leading companies in the Distribution, Energy, Banking and Insurance, Healthcare, Industry and Public Administration sectors.

The company is headquartered in Madrid and its 24×7 Service Center is located in Valencia. It also has offices in Barcelona, Donostia, Brussels, Lisbon, Bogota and Mexico City.

More info:

prensa@s2grupo.es

• Among the main mistakes we make is using the same password for everything, not changing them periodically or saving them in the browser, among others.
• The passwords ‘12345’, ‘password’, ‘abc123’ or ‘qwerty’ are some of the most unsecure and are still the most used.

Valencia, May 4, 2022 – On Thursday, May 5, is World Password Day and, on the occasion of this event, the cybersecurity company S2 Grupo has warned that a good percentage of the cyber dangers we face on the network are possible by using weak passwords.

In this sense and, according to a survey carried out from its blog Hijosdigitales.es, 42% of the participants assured that they used the same password for everything. This is one of the main mistakes made when selecting the first security barrier we set in the online world.

“Noone would ever think of having the same key for their house, apartment, mailbox, car or gym locker, would they? In the offline world we know this can not happen and, therefore, a thief would not try his luck. However, in the online world this dangerous practice is common and cybercriminals are also savvy. Therefore, doing so puts all our devices, accounts and personal information at high risk“, said José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

“The second most frequent mistake in relation to our passwords is to use only letters, numbers or only a combination of words and numbers. We are in 2022, the world is experiencing a brutal technological revolution in recent years. However, the most used passwords, and therefore the worst and most unsecure, are still ‘12345’, ‘password’, ‘abc123’ or ‘qwerty’, for example“, said Miguel A. Juan, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

S2 Grupo’s team of experts has insisted on the importance of emphasizing the use of strong passwords and the need to see them as the first great barrier to prevent the action of cybercriminals.

As they pointed out, other common mistakes we often make in relation to passwords is not renewing them periodically, saving them in the browser for convenience, writing them down on our own devices, etc.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es

• For S2 Grupo, the objective of this new addition to its team in Madrid is the expansion of the company in the central area of Spain.

Valencia, April 20, 2022 – S2 Grupo, a company specialized in cybersecurity and critical systems management, has strengthened its sales team in Madrid with the incorporation of Ignacio Solinís.

With a degree in Law from the Complutense University, his professional career has been oriented to B2B sales and he has extensive knowledge of the Spanish business network. He is also an expert in managed security tools and services. Since 2014 he has worked as Key Account Manager for different companies specialized in technology and cybersecurity sectors.

He began his professional career in the commercial area of Business Banking at Barclays Bank and has collaborated with international companies such as Sodexo Spain and Professional Staff, of the King’s College group, specializing in the area of Facility Management.

Along with this, he is closely linked to communication and has written articles on various topics such as data protection or legal compliance for several media. In addition, he has been a contributor to the cybersecurity program “Afterwork” of Capital Radio.

The objective of S2 Grupo with this new incorporation is to continue its expansion in the central area of Spain.

The company closed 2021 with a turnover of €25 million, which represented a growth of more than 27% over the previous year, and a workforce of 459 employees.

Since its creation in 1999, S2 Grupo has become a benchmark company in the security environment on an international scale. Its clients include leading companies in the Distribution, Energy, Banking and Insurance, Healthcare, Industry and Public Administration sectors.

The company is headquartered in Valencia and has its 24×7 Service Center located there. It also has offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Donostia, Brussels, Lisbon, Bogotá and Mexico City.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es

• She also learnt about the extensive work carried out by the company in R&D+i as well as its Industrial Cybersecurity Laboratory and its CERT, which are pioneers and a reference in our country.

Valencia, April 6, 2022 – The Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, visited today the facilities of the cybersecurity company S2 Grupo in Valencia.

Specifically, she has known first hand the Security Operations Center of this company, which has become one of the most important SOCs in Spain. S2 Grupo is currently a national and international benchmark in Cybersecurity and Cyberintelligence. One of its great values is to remain as one of the few cybersecurity companies 100% Spanish and with its own technology.

In this meeting, the managing partners of S2 Grupo, José Rosell and Miguel A. Juan, explained to Diana Morant all the work done by this company in R+D+i in cybersecurity and cyberintelligence.

In addition, he visited its CERT (24/7 Operations and Incident Response Center), which is also a reference throughout the country. S2 Grupo CERT is an operations center that provides services in the IT and OT fields and serves customers of all kinds anywhere in the world. The team of experts of this company has explained how they have four operational centers in Valencia, Madrid, Bogotá and Mexico City from which they provide, in a syndicated way, continuous protection, detection and response services in cybersecurity.

“It is an honor to have been able to show the Minister of Science and Innovation the work we are doing to make a decisive contribution to the development of innovative technologies that enable the protection of public administration, companies and citizens in many countries“, said José Rosell.

 “The Government’s Digital Spain 2025 strategy has highlighted the commitment of this Ministry to digitalization, which we know is an ambitious challenge that must always go hand in hand with cybersecurity. For the Minister of Science and Innovation, research, development and innovation are priority areas for economic and social development, and its policies to support sectorial R&D+i will benefit Spain’s cybersecurity as a great strength and a benchmark in Europe“, said Miguel A. Juan.

Investment in innovation and development is an essential part of S2 Grupo’s activity. In this sense, it has been highlighted that, due to the fact that threats in our digital society are multiplying at a rapid pace, it is necessary to have new solutions and initiatives, which win the battle against cybercrime and contribute to the creation of a cybersecure world. The company currently participates in more than 50 national and European programs for the creation of new developments to boost the availability of its own technology in the field of cybersecurity and end technological dependence on other continents.

It also collaborates with the European Commission and other international organizations and works on the creation of proprietary technology that will enable us to be more independent and competitive with other countries. In this field, the company participates in projects dedicated to industrial cybersecurity, protection against advanced attacks, protection of IoT devices, protection of critical infrastructures, artificial intelligence, anomaly detection and user security.

During this visit Diana Morant was also able to visit the Industrial Cybersecurity Laboratory of S2 Grupo, where they work to advance in the protection of all types of infrastructures. The laboratory has different teams that operate in different sectors in which they are specialists such as transport with a real charging station, an ICU for the defense and protection of healthcare facilities and patients, as well as digital twins of industrial systems of all kinds.

Finally, the Minister of Science and Innovation visited the CSIRT- CV, the incident response center of the Valencian Community, which has become a successful model to be implemented in the rest of the Autonomous Communities.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es

March 28, 2022.- The cybersecurity company S2 Grupo and Euskaltel have signed a strategic alliance through which the leading telecommunications operator in northern Spain will expand the cybersecurity services it offers to its corporate clients. For its part, S2 Grupo, a leading company in its sector at European level, will become the main supplier for Euskaltel’s cybersecurity projects and services.

In this sense, S2 Grupo’s activity is focused on three main lines: auditing and consulting projects (to evaluate the cybersecurity of customers and design specific protection systems for their businesses), development of proprietary products (aimed at increasing protection, detection and response capabilities in cybersecurity), and provision of ongoing cybersecurity management services and operation of mission-critical systems from specific 24×7 centers designed for this purpose.

The agreement between the two companies brings together the experience and skills of each company in their respective sectors, which will allow Euskaltel, and the companies that make up the MASMOVIL Group, to increase their catalog of products and services for their client companies. For its part, S2 Grupo will reinforce its commitment to its presence in the Northern Zone, where it opened its first branch office in 2021, specifically in Donostia.

“This alliance with Euskaltel/Grupo MASMOVIL is of enormous value because it will allow us to add our pioneering cybersecurity solutions to their Internet and telephony services. We live in a context in which telecommunications cannot be conceived separately from cybersecurity, and this is a big step in that direction. In this way, future customers will experience a qualitative leap in the cyber protection of their organizations or homes“, said Íñigo Bueno, S2 Grupo’s delegate in the Basque Country.

“S2 Grupo’s purpose is the anticipation of a cyber-secure world through our services of protection, detection and response to cyber threats and cyber incidents. We need to anticipate the action of cybercrime and this union with Grupo Euskaltel is a great step on this path as it will bring cybersecurity to all its customers“, said Rafael Rosell, the company’s Global Commercial Director.

José Manuel García, Head of Cloud Product and Cybersecurity at Euskaltel and MASMOVIL Group, stated that “although our current range of services greatly facilitates companies’ digitalization projects, we are aware that this path implies an increase in potential threats. Cyber-attacks affect all types of companies, although SMEs are the most vulnerable because they tend to be more unprotected and, therefore, their data and applications are more exposed to threats and theft. Most companies cannot afford large investments, but it is essential to have a cybersecurity strategy that addresses all of the organization’s processes. S2 Grupo’s extensive experience will allow us to analyze each case, and design and offer customized plans to meet those needs. We can openly say that cybersecurity is not a luxury, but a necessity that will prevent greater evils“.

More information:

prensa@s2grupo.es