ENISA on EU cyber security at Parliament’s SEDE Committee

ENISA’s Executive Director, Udo Helmbrecht, gave a speech today Monday 16th March 2015, at the SEDE (Security and Defence) subcommittee meeting in Brussels, in an exchange of views on cyber security and defence.

Topics discussed involved:

• Assessing efficiently the threat landscape and understanding the cyber dynamics as an important tool towards an active and agile security management
• The critical role of CERTs – the EU’s Computer Emergency Response Teams – for developing ‘baseline capabilities’ and providing an EU wide network responding to cyber incidents and threats
• The development of pan-European cyber exercises and cooperation among Member States
• The protection of Critical Information Infrastructure (CIIP) and the development of a common approach to incident reporting in Europe, bringing together National Regulatory and Data Protection Authorities
• The development of National Cyber Security Strategies (NCSS) in the Member States
• The need for an EU legislation supporting privacy, by requiring systems’ developers and service providers to build in data protection measures from the design phase on (‘security by design’)
• The need for trusted core NIS technologies and services (an innovative business model for EU companies producing cyber security services and products) for the EU to become the single market of choice for governments and industry

Challenges for the future illustrate that there are different aspects to cyber security and cyber-attacks. Firm action will be required, as a significant evolution in top threats is expected. To enable to address this, cooperation among Member States, EU Institutions, and other relevant bodies is a top priority. Furthermore, it is necessary to establish European prevention, detection and response capabilities and implement early warning systems.

Udo Helmbrecht said: “The protection of information, information systems and infrastructure from those threats associated with the use of ICT systems in a globally connected environment is inevitably linked with effective security policies, and robust and resilient cyber defence capabilities, within a common EU policy. There are different aspects to cyber security and cyber-attacks. But all current security approaches tend to make use of the same technology, making it difficult to judge who is attacking what and why. Within this context, it should be examined what cyber security can offer at another level, contributing and protecting the EU citizens. Cyber security is the EU’s ‘digital frontier’”.

Within this context, ENISA provided an overview of its active contribution at an EU level. The meeting was broadcast live and is available via the European Parliament multimedia library.

Notes to Editors:

Speech by Udo Helmbrecht at the SEDE Committee

“The EU Cyber Security Strategy was presented by the Commission and the HR/VP in 2013. It covers the internal market, justice and home affairs and foreign policy angles of cyberspace. In 2014 the Council adopted the EU Cyber Defence Policy Framework, focusing on CSDP, civil/military cooperation, training and international cooperation” source: SEDE

About ENISA: The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) is a centre of expertise for cyber security in Europe. ENISA supports the EU and the Member States in enhancing and strengthening their capability and preparedness to prevent, detect and respond to network and information security problems and incidents.

For media enquiries and interviews: Ms Renata Jankowska, Personal Assistant to the Executive Director, email: Renata.Jankowska@enisa.europa.eu Tel. +30 2814409592 and press@enisa.europa.eu , Tel. +30 2814409576

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