TECH

Cybersecurity: Europe guarantees agreement to strengthen security and creates certification system for products and services

The Cybersecurity Act was proposed in 2017 but needed an agreement between Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission to implement the measures that were negotiated between the three EU bodies. The agreement was closed tonight and strengthens the mandate of the Security Agency, ENISA, to ensure more resources, and also establishes a framework to help member states respond more effectively to attacks by improving cooperation and coordination between the various countries and institutions.
There are also innovative concepts that address the challenge of improving the security of products and services in the early stages of development, especially those related to the Internet of Things, and a one-stop certification system to facilitate the process and reduce costs.
ENISA had a more limited mandate and had a target date of 2020, but the agency now has a wider role in cybersecurity, with responsibilities for the preparation and qualification of entities. The agency will also function as an independent expertise center to raise awareness among citizens and businesses, helping EU institutions and Member States develop and implement cybersecurity policies.
Attacks such as Wannacry and NotPetya acted as alarms, showing that the state of preparedness of the European Union and the Member States was far from desirable and leading policy makers to move forward with more structured measures and better coordination systems as this type of threats are global and require concerted responses. The Cybersecurity Law also creates a structure for the certification of products, processes and services. These European Cybersecurity Certificates will be valid throughout the EU and have concepts of integrating security features from the very earliest stages of development. User verification mechanisms and independent validation are also planned.
Citizens' confidence in products and services is seen as a critical need and therefore legislation has an important focus on certification but also on validation. To facilitate the certification process, a one-stop shop is planned, which aims to simplify the process for small and medium-sized enterprises and reduce costs.
Following the political agreement yesterday, formal approval of the new regulation is still necessary in the European Parliament and in the Council of the European Union. Only after the publication in the Official Journal of the EU will the Cybersecurity Act officially come into force immediately allowing the creation of European certification schemes and the restructuring of ENISA.
It should be recalled that the European Commission this year also proposed the creation of a European Center for Technology, Technology and Research in Cybersecurity and a network of Cybersecurity Competence Centers to better coordinate available funding for cybersecurity. cooperation, research and innovation. Sapo