ENISA - 5 years of making Europe safer

Since the founding of ENISA in 2004, the challenges facing Europe in terms of cyber crime and cyber terrorism have multiplied. The financial and political importance of information security for business, governments and the European economy has become ever more evident. The booklet, video clip and ED-interview launched by the Agency, summarises the last five years and concludes that ENISA is now widely recognised as an impartial, independent EU authority in Network and Information Security [NIS].

• It has facilitated the setting up and increase in numbers of governmental ‘digital fire brigades’, ‘Computer Emergency Response Teams’ (CERTs). Moreover it has increased cross-border co-operation and helped to improve response to large-scale cyber-attacks.
• The Agency is studying the resilience of public communication networks and drafting guidelines for deploying DNSSEC to enhance resilience.
• Inventories of risk assessment, risk management and business continuity methods and tools have been produced.
• ENISA is also identifying future threats, e.g. in remote e-health. With its expertise and its independence, the Agency is well placed to ring the alarm bells on Emerging and Future Risks.
• The Agency has developed numerous reports to assess the security situation in Europe. It has also provided security compilations of ‘good practices’ guides, given advice and recommendations, and shared information to the benefit of the EU Member States and relevant governmental actors. ENISA has, e.g. created awareness raising material to help parents ensure the safety of children using Internet, and act safer in virtual worlds and reports on online social networks; on how to print secure; ATM-crimes; privacy and data protection risks; eID and privacy; web 2.0 security; risks for SMEs; and 600 pages country reports.

 This list is evidently not comprehensive. Yet, the booklet portrays how the Agency has become a recognised, international point of reference in EU network and information security matters.

The outgoing Executive Director of ENISA, Mr. Andrea Pirotti remarked:

“During my five years tenure of ENISA, I am proud to have managed this Agency through some times rough waters, but that we always have emerged successfully. To celebrate its first five years, I have therefore chosen the motto Per Aspera ad Astra. It translates ‘Through hardships - to the stars’; wishing success to those setting out on a challenging mission. I am now leaving the command of the ENISA “ship” on 15 October. I shall hand-over to the next Executive Director, Dr. Udo Helmbrecht (from Germany) an Agency that is well positioned to meet future security challenges.”

For further details, please contact: Ulf Bergstrom, Press and Communications Officer, ENISA, press@enisa.europa.eu

Mobile phone: 00 30 6948 460 143

Full ‘ENISA 5 years’ booklet: http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/key-documents/enisa-5-years-brochure

Video clip: http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/news-pictures/nis-is-you

Interview: http://www2.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/enisa/37555/