COVER STORY
One of the dominating trends in the
past year, which has persisted in 2020,
was targeted ransomware attacks. We
believe that this threat continues to be
highly visible, as coordinated attacks by
various threat actors could pave the way
for even more destructive attacks that
could paralyse organisations.
How would you describe
Europe’s current
cybersecurity landscape?
European policy in cybersecurity and
privacy has undergone a paradigm shift
in recent years in the wake of a Digital
Transformation that has enabled new
business models and shaped entire
industry landscapes.
As businesses go digital, they are
collecting more personal and financial
data about their customers than ever
before. There is also no doubt that
Europe remains a region of focus in
terms of targeted cybercrime activity.
As such, there has been a pressing
need to scale up policy and regulation
to ensure that businesses operate in a
52
secure fashion and that cybersecurity
concerns do not unduly impede the
progress of Digital Transformation.
With the introduction of the General
Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the
Directive on Security of Network and
Information Systems, and the proposed
development of an EU Cybersecurity
Certification Framework, Europe is
now considered to be the epitome of
cybersecurity and privacy.
Are there any specific countries
within the region that you think
are lagging behind when it
comes to operating with a
secure approach?
In the last 15 years we have seen
cybercrime increasing in sophistication,
targeting governments, institutions,
business and personal lives – and there
has been a concerted effort across
Europe to ensure that nationwide
standards, regulations and law
enforcement approaches are in place to
respond accordingly. Still, no country
today is ahead of cybercriminals. Threat
actors have no boundaries, do not have
to wrestle with policy and regulation, and
freely trade information with one another.
With technology advancing rapidly and
embedding itself deeper into our lives
and the ecosystem, organisations need
to realise the importance of continued
investment in cybersecurity. The
security awareness aspect must also
not be overlooked as humans can play a
proactive role in being part of a human
firewall, versus being seen as ‘the
weakest link’ – an often repeated, but
inaccurate, adage.
How is Europe placed in
terms of dealing with
evolving cyberthreats five
years from now?
The EU Cybersecurity Act is an excellent
opportunity to define a common and
unifying set of cybersecurity regulations
and develop an efficient certification
landscape by building on existing
initiatives, harmonising processes and
leveraging on the profound expertise
of national cybersecurity professionals.
The proposed development of an EU
Cybersecurity Certification Framework
Issue 23
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