EU Sets Up An Emergency Team To Handle Large Scale Attacks

European Union agencies have suffered from damaging cyber attacks over the last year and in a recent Briefing Paper the EU Commission said it has identified weaknesses in cyber security governance abound in the public and private sectors across the EU as well as at the international level.  “This impairs the global community’s ability to respond to and limit cyber attacks and undermines a coherent EU-wide approach. The challenge is thus to strengthen cyber security governance”. 

In pursuit of this aim, the European Commission has announced that it plans to build a Joint Cyber Unit to be based in Brussels that  and it will take-on large scale cyber attacks. The rapid-response Joint Cyber Unit will pool European cyber-security powers to launch operations against ongoing hacking threats.

Currently cyber security communities, including civilian, law enforcement, diplomatic and cyber defence communities, as well as private sector partners, often operate separately.  However, while the sectors are specific, the threats are often common with consequent benefits from coordination, knowledge sharing and advance warning across communities.

National level cyber security attacks in Europe rose from 432 in 2019 to 756 in 2020 and the recent massive ransomware incidents on critical services in Ireland and the US has "focused minds" according to EU Commission sources.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland was hit by a ransomware group called Conti which scrambled IT systems, causing major disruption to many hospitals.HSE chief Paul Reid told the Oireachtas health committee recently that it will take months to fix the system and that it will cost as much as €100m (£85m) to recover.

The Commission intends that dedicated cyber team will be immediately deployed to EU countries during serious attacks and Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas has said recently that the hack on the vital US fuel pipeline was a "nightmare scenario that we have to prepare against".

In both instances, hackers use malicious software to scramble and steal an organisation's computer data and then used attempted to extort ransomware from the corporate victims in return for returning services back to normal. While the criminals were successful in being paid off by the US pipeline operator, the Irish Government has refused to pay. 

The EU’s aim is to ensure that the Joint Cyber Unit will be operational by June 2022, and that it will be fully established one year later, by 30 June 2023.

In the US the Biden Administration is taking urgent steps to address the wave of major ransomware attacks by strengthening and cetralising national capabilities and by appealing for international co-operation, notably form Russia, where many of these attacks originate:  

European Court of Auditors:    Bloomberg:      BBC:      ITGovernance:   ITPro:      The National:    Smart Energy

You Might Also Read:

The European Union's Digital Security Plan:

 

« What Is The Best Defense Against Phishing?
SANS & AWS Marketplace Webinar: (Re)Defining XDR In AWS »

ManageEngine
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Check Point

Directory of Suppliers

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

BackupVault

BackupVault

BackupVault is a leading provider of automatic cloud backup and critical data protection against ransomware, insider attacks and hackers for businesses and organisations worldwide.

Montash

Montash

Montash is an award winning, global technology recruitment business, specialising in the acquisitions of high-performing talent across a number of core disciplines including Information Security.

Tufin

Tufin

Tufin enables organizations to automate their security policy visibility, risk management, provisioning and compliance across their multi-vendor, hybrid environment.

Assured Data Protection

Assured Data Protection

Assured Data Protection specialises in data protection and disaster recovery services for large SME and enterprise organisations.

Copper Horse Solutions

Copper Horse Solutions

Copper Horse specialises in mobile and IoT security, engineering solutions throughout the product lifecycle from requirements to product security investigations.

Norwegian Business & Industry Security Council (NSR)

Norwegian Business & Industry Security Council (NSR)

NSR is a member organization serving the Norwegian business sector in an advisory capacity on matters relating to crime and security including cyber.

Global Lifecycle Solutions EMEA (Global EMEA)

Global Lifecycle Solutions EMEA (Global EMEA)

Global EMEA provides full lifecycle services to corporate Clients covering procurement, configuration, support, maintenance and end-of-life asset management.

Zero Networks

Zero Networks

With Zero Network, you can achieve affordable, airtight network access security at scale.

Cyber Security Cloud (CSC)

Cyber Security Cloud (CSC)

Cyber Security Cloud provides web application security services worldwide using world's leading cyber threat intelligence and AI technology.

Cybriant

Cybriant

Cybriant Strategic Security Services provide a framework for architecting, constructing, and maintaining a secure business with policy and performance alignment.

Visible Statement

Visible Statement

Visible Statement is a computer-based delivery system designed to insure the retention and recall of your most important security training messages.

ImpactQA

ImpactQA

ImpactQA is a global leading software testing & QA consulting company. Ten years of excellence. Delivering unmatched services & digital transformation to SMEs & Fortune 500 companies.

Rostelecom Solar

Rostelecom Solar

Rostelecom-Solar is a Cyber Security Company, providing software and managed detection and response (MDR) services to protect critical information from advanced cyber threats.

ViewDS Identity Solutions

ViewDS Identity Solutions

ViewDS Identity Solutions develops innovative identity software including cloud identity management solutions, directory services, access and authorization management solutions.

VT Group (VTG)

VT Group (VTG)

VTG delivers force modernization and digital transformation solutions that expand America’s competitive advantage in the modern battlespace.

Velaspan

Velaspan

Velaspan design, deploy, and manage enterprise wireless networks and cybersecurity solutions for leading businesses and brands.

Maveris

Maveris

Maveris is an IT and cybersecurity company committed to helping organizations create secure digital solutions to accelerate their mission.