New threat vectors are emerging every day and it’s a challenge for organizations to tackle them with basic cybersecurity measures. Governments and organizations across the globe are looking for additional resources and cybersecurity collaborations to deter the evolving cyberthreat landscape. In a recent official announcement, the European Union (EU) proposed a Joint Cyber Unit to enhance cybersecurity readiness against rising state-sponsored attacks.
The suggested Joint Cyber Unit is intended to bring cybersecurity expertise and resources from the cybersecurity community, law enforcement agencies, defense, and private organizations across the EU and its Member States.
Common Platform for Cybersecurity
The Joint Cyber Unit will enable the cooperation of both physical and virtual platforms where industry experts, institutions, and enterprises can perform joint operations and share intelligence on how to effectively respond and prevent high-profile attacks. The proposal to create the Joint Cyber Unit is a critical move towards enhancing the European cybersecurity crisis management. It ensures a coordinated response from the authorities in event of a cyberattack and assists in recovering from it.
Commenting on the new proposal, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, “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 cyberattacks, we are all vulnerable and that is why cooperation at all levels is crucial. There is no big or small. We need to defend ourselves, but we also need to serve as a beacon for others in promoting global, open, stable, and secure cyberspace.”
Cybersecurity – A Top Priority
According to a report released by Hiscox, a cyber insurance providing company, cyberattacks across several verticals in the U.S. and Europe have seen a sharp surge, whereas the cyber readiness of the organizations has come to a halt. The survey included nearly 5,400 private and public sector organizations from the U.S., the U.K., Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.
Cybersecurity has become a top priority for the EU and its Member States to protect the critical infrastructure, health care facilities, research centers, and civilians from potential state-sponsored attacks, especially during the pandemic.
