The Council of the European Union has formally enacted two crucial pieces of legislation designed to fortify Europe’s cybersecurity framework.
These laws, part of an expansive cybersecurity legislative ‘package’, aim to significantly boost the EU’s defenses against cyber threats and enhance cross-border collaboration.
One of the new laws, dubbed the ‘cyber solidarity act’, introduces a comprehensive EU-wide ‘cyber security alert system’. This system will be supported by a network of national and cross-border cyber hubs, which will employ advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated data analytics to detect and disseminate timely alerts about cyber threats. These hubs are set to enhance the capabilities of existing European frameworks, enabling authorities and relevant entities to respond more swiftly and effectively to cybersecurity incidents.
Moreover, the legislation establishes a cybersecurity emergency mechanism that bolsters the EU’s preparedness and response to cyber incidents. This includes testing entities in critical sectors such as healthcare, transport, and energy for vulnerabilities, and a new EU cybersecurity reserve. This reserve will consist of private sector incident response services ready to be deployed in significant or large-scale cybersecurity events.
Additionally, the act introduces an incident review mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of these new measures and their contribution to strengthening the competitive position of the industry and service sectors.
The second piece of legislation is a targeted amendment to the existing cybersecurity act of 2019. It focuses on enhancing the management of security services crucial for the prevention, detection, response, and recovery from cybersecurity incidents. This amendment paves the way for the future establishment of European certification schemes for managed security services, promoting higher quality and comparability, and preventing market fragmentation due to varying national standards.
Following their endorsement, these legislative acts will be published in the EU’s official journal and will come into effect 20 days later, marking a significant step forward in Europe’s cyber defence strategy.
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