EC outlines plans for Joint Cyber Unit to tackle serious incidents

Posted to News on Sunday, June 27, 2021 Share:

THE EUROPEAN Commission has laid out a vision focused on building a new Joint Cyber Unit designed to tackle the rising number of serious cyber incidents impacting public services, businesses and citizens across the European Union (EU). Advanced and co-ordinated responses in the field of cyber security have become increasingly necessary as cyber attacks grow in number, scale and consequence. As such, preparations must be made to respond collectively and exchange relevant information on a ‘need to share’ rather than solely a ‘need to know’ basis.

First announced by President Ursula von der Leyen in her political guidelines, the Joint Cyber Unit aims to bring together the resources and expertise available to the EU and its Member States to effectively prevent, deter and respond to mass cyber incidents and crises.

Cyber security communities – including the civilian, law enforcement, diplomatic and cyber defence communities, as well as private sector partners – often operate separately. With the Joint Cyber Unit, they will have a virtual and physical platform of co-operation. Relevant EU institutions, bodies and agencies, together with the Member States, will progressively build a European platform for countering large-scale cyber attacks.

The recommendation on the creation of the Joint Cyber Unit is an important step towards completing the European cyber security crisis management framework. The latter is described as “a concrete deliverable” of the EU Cyber Security Strategy and the EU Security Union Strategy designed to contribute to a safe digital economy and society.

The European Commission is proposing to build the Joint Cyber Unit in four steps through a “gradual and transparent” process and in co-ownership with the Member States and the different entities active in the field. The aim is to ensure that the Joint Cyber Unit will move to the operational phase by the end of June next year and that it will be fully established come June 2023.

ENISA, the EU Agency for Cyber Security, will serve as secretariat for the preparatory phase. The Joint Cyber Unit will operate close to its Brussels office and the office of CERT-EU, the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU’s institutions, bodies and agencies.

Financial backing

The investments necessary for setting up the Joint Cyber Unit will be provided by the European Commission, primarily through the Digital Europe Programme. Funds will serve to build the physical and virtual platform, establish and maintain secure communication channels and improve detection capabilities. Additional contributions, especially so those required to develop Member States’ cyber defence capabilities, may be made available through the European Defence Fund.

Margrethe Vestager, executive vice-president for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said: “Cyber security is a cornerstone of a digital and connected Europe. In today’s society, responding to threats in a co-ordinated manner is absolutely paramount. The Joint Cyber Unit will contribute to that goal. Together, we can really make a difference.”

Josep Borrell, high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, added: “The Joint Cyber Unit is a very important step for Europe to protect its Governments, citizens and businesses from global cyber threats. When it comes to cyber attacks, we are all vulnerable and that is precisely why co-operation at all levels is crucial. We need to defend ourselves, but we also need to serve as a beacon for others in promoting a global, open, stable and secure cyber space.”

Steve Forbes, Government cyber security expert at Nominet, informed Security Matters: “It’s very welcome news that the European Commission is intending to form a Joint Cyber Unit. The new effort includes rapid response teams ready to be deployed in the instance of an attack, as well as a game-changing platform for collaboration across the EU focused on intelligence, resources and expertise. This is exactly what’s needed to stem the tide against attacks that are only becoming more brazen and sophisticated.”

Forbes went on to explain: “Until now, it has been reported that countries were hesitant to give away any control of their national security and that’s completely understandable when you consider that cyber is increasingly being seen alongside traditional methods of defence. There’s a middle ground, however, where countries can benefit from centralised intelligence, overarching strategies and broad-reaching tactics. With similar threats faced across the EU – particularly against critical infrastructure – and often involving the same adversaries, pulling together will allow the bloc to make step changes in its cyber defence strategy. The new Joint Cyber Unit will set a powerful precedent for international collaboration that’s central to our future global cyber defence.”