Abstract
EU and cyber security
Securing network and information systems in the EU is essential to ensure prosperity and to keep the online economy running. The European Union works on a number of fronts to ensure cybersecurity in Europe, from providing the delivery of better internet for kids to implementing the international cooperation on cybersecurity and cybercrime.
As societies, governments and businesses become increasingly reliant on the Internet for the normal functioning of every-day activities and the supply of essential services, protecting cyberspace from malicious activities has become a critical action point for policymakers globally. While digital and networked technologies promise much, the implications of successful attacks can be huge.
The continued rapid development of information and communication technologies, globalization, the drastic increase in data volumes and the growing number of different types of equipment connected to data networks have an impact on daily life, the economy and the functioning of the state. On the one hand, this level of ICT development will contribute to the improved availability and usability of services, enhance transparency and citizen participation in governance, and cut public as well as private sector costs. On the other hand, the increasing importance of technology is accompanied by an increase in the state's growing dependence on already entrenched e-solutions, and cements the expectation of technology operating eamlessly.
Social processes are also becoming increasingly dependent on a growing number of information technology resources, and in the future attention must be drawn to the fact that society at large, and each individual in particular, will be able to maintain control over the corresponding processes.
Otherwise, there is potential for information technologies to reduce the role of humans in the decision-making process, and processes may become self-regulatory (technological singularity).
The number of state actors in cyberspace that are involved in cyber espionage targeted at computers connected to the Internet as well as closed networks continues to grow, with their aim being to collect information on both national security as well as economic interests.
The amount and activeness of states capable of cyber-attacks are increasing. In addition to the activation of state actors, the ability of politically motivated individuals and groups with limited means to organize their activities using social networks and carry out denial of service and other types of attacks is growing as well. Meaningful and effective cooperation between the public and private sector in the development of cyber security organization as well as in preventing and resolving cyber incidents is becoming increasingly unavoidable.
National defense and internal security are dependent on the private sector's infrastructure and resources, while at the same time the state can assist vital service providers and guarantors of national critical information infrastructure as a coordinator and balancer of various interests. |