After the Russian invasion of Ukraine -although it has been preparing for a long time- the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, announced his intention (opens in a new window) to create a European cyber shield to protect against future cybersecurity threats and attacks - of a nature economic, political, commercial or military.
Breton believes that a "dispersed" Europe should unite to manage more advanced technologies, secure infrastructures and effective sanctions.
A comprehensive approach to "protect, detect, defend and deter" has been devised in the form of the European Cyber Shield, which is expected to be launched "gradually".
Will Europe's Cyber Shield work?
Essentially, The Shield hopes to protect the continent by re-examining dependencies, standardizing regulatory requirements across member states, and determining minimum requirements for products and software placed on the single market. Breton also mentioned the importance of post-quantum encryption.
Dan Morgan, director of information security firm SecurityScorecard (opens in a new tab), describes the plan as "ambitious and comprehensive" but flags potential concerns about a Europe-focused strategy.
Morgan explains: "While the interconnected nature of Europe requires cooperation between nations, the increasingly global nature of cyber threats demands a broader approach."
The four-step approach is "laudable," says Morgan; however, achieving a high level of cross-border collaboration could be difficult.
Although it is not clear how progressive the development of a Cyber Shield in Europe will be, Breton said that discussions with the NATO Secretary General and the US Secretary of Homeland Security have already begun.
Breton said in his announcement that the United States considers itself operationally better than Europe at countering cyberattacks, but worse when it comes to responding with effective regulation.
Summarized Morgan: “By engaging with global partners, Europe can not only build its cyber resilience, but also contribute to a safer digital future for all.
A collaborative effort outside of the Shield could help strengthen the global approach to cybersecurity, but having multiple subdivisions will still be important to provide a variety of perspectives and approaches to avoid global complacency.