2023-10-29 10:00:06
The growing threat of cyber attacks has made the European union (EU) move sheet. The Industry, Research and Energy Commission of the European Parliament is drafting the so-called cyber solidarity law, a regulation that seeks to improve the preparation, detection and en bloc response to all kinds of cyber incidents cyber security.
The socialist MEP Lina Galvez (PSOE), professor of History and expert in feminist economics, is vice-president of the commission and the speaker of the report. Attend EL PERIÓDICO in a meeting at the European Parliament office in Barcelona.
What is the purpose of the law?
The European Commission conveyed to us the urgency that existed because cyberattacks are increasing, they will not stop and those with the least capabilities are more exposed. The goal of the law is to learn to prevent and improve collaboration to give them an answer. Cyber security is a competence of States and some are very reserved about it, but cyber attacks are not a national thing, they are overflowing. They can come from third countries or from cyber terrorists. Maybe those who stole data from a hospital in Bulgaria are the same as They are going to attack Barcelona. It is a cross-border problem, so working together and in a harmonized way in the EU will be better.
Lack of coordination at the moment?
It is a relatively new phenomenon that it has intensified greatly with the war in Ukraine and regulation sometimes lags behind.
The war in Ukraine has greatly intensified cyber-attacks and regulation has fallen behind
What impact has the conflict had?
There has been an increase in cyber attacks, especially against Eastern European countries. There are cyberterrorist groups behind it, but I can’t say whether they are coordinated or supported by any country.
The law proposes that countries cooperate through operational centers, but some are wary of partners such as, for example, Hungary.
There will not be a single center, but several alliances can be formed. Spain leads a pilot plan together with Austria, the Netherlands, Romania and Portugal. Ideally, the shield should be very wide. The law will also set in motion an aid mechanism and the best way to help those who have had an attack is by sharing experiences. Sharing cyber security data with other States and companies is a sensitive issue.
The Court of Auditors of the EU has said that the lack of exchange of information could “undermine the effectiveness of the law”.
If they all participate, there won’t be that risk, but we still don’t know how they will react. The law also provides that Member States can collaborate with third countries outside the EU. This would allow, for example, to provide aid to countries peripheral to Russia before others do. But, yes, cooperation is voluntary.
The regulation also seeks to boost the strengthening of the European cybersecurity industry
Yes, and advance in what we call open autonomy, both in the sense of security to protect us and to promote our own autonomous capacities. For now, we are not autonomous to be able to do that. Currently, EU countries work with many European companies, but most are from the United States.
At the moment, Europe has no autonomy to defend itself against cyber attacks
How does this desire for autonomy combine with the fact of continuing to depend on North American technology giants like Microsoft?
It is very difficult. These companies have contracts in place with many Member States and usually also work with national companies. It is highly trusted. The European strategy for strategic autonomy seeks to promote the conditions for our industry to flourish. That is why the law encourages investment in qualified labor, because this gives more potential to undertake and innovate. However, it is an open autonomy and in a globalized world there is a lot of interdependence. We continue to depend on big US companies, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t European companies. If we want to ensure our cyber security, the best way to do it is by cooperating and establishing common institutions that allow us to share data.
The sector has been lamenting the lack of experts for years.
There is a huge problem of professionals needed to help companies and public institutions implement and strengthen their cyber security systems. That is why it is essential to invest in the training of qualified personnel.
Related news
What is the main cyber threat facing the EU?
We are getting a lot of cyber attacks from terrorists that may have some connection to Russia. Cyber attacks are already part of wars and can hit very different areas, such as stealing sensitive medical data from citizens.
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