ITRE MEPs visit ENISA for an update on activities and cyber challenges for the EU
Published on September 25, 2015
ENISA hosted a two-day visit, by EP ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) delegation, Michal BONI and Eva KAILI, at its premises in Heraklion Crete, on the 24th and 25th September 2015.
The ITRE delegation had consecutive meetings with ENISA’s Executive Director Prof Udo Helmbrecht, joined by the Head of Core Operations Department, Dr Steve Purser. The programme of their visit entailed a:
- Brief presentation on ENISA and the Agency’s mission and scope of its activities
- Presentation on flagship and major Agency projects. These include: Secure and Smart Infrastructures, Cloud computing, National Cyber Security Strategies, Incident reporting, threat landscape, certification, privacy and data protection, and supporting EC policy processes. In each case, emphasis was placed on the impact of the work.
- Demonstration and overview of ENISA’s training activities for the EU CSIRT community and Cyber exercises
- Meeting with ENISA staff for an exchange of views on the upcoming challenges in the field of cyber security within the European context and activities.
ENISA’s priorities and improving the Agency’s capacity to deliver
Key discussion points were as follows:
- The role of ENISA in securing new technologies and business models such as m-Health and the Industry 4.0 concept. Several ideas taken from ENISA’s earlier work on ‘Digital Sovereignty’ were discussed in this context as possible next steps.
- In the area of EU legislation, ENISA is ideally positioned to provide support for the implementation of the Data-Protection-Regulation and the NIS directive. The Agency should consider intensifying its data collection and analysis activities in the future.
- ENISA could provide valuable support to the European Parliament (EP) by providing input on NIS trends on a regular basis and responding to specific questions on an ‘as required’ basis. It would also be beneficial for the Agency to become a constant element of the EP world and provide briefings or workshops for MEPs and EP groups on an ad-hoc basis e.g. STOA.
- There is the need to agree on a code of conduct on recommendations issued in cybersecurity.
- There is the need to redefine the definition of security in the EU taking into consideration the indistinct borders of the digital environment as evidenced by the cyber reality. This is not an easy task and requires a process with the aim to better secure citizens and businesses.
- It was noted that the ENISA budget has been essentially static for the last ten years, whereas the importance of the field of cybersecurity has grown significantly in importance. Budget and resources are now the limiting factor affecting ENISA’s ability to create further impact. It was agreed that this fact should be brought to the attention of decision makers as a matter of urgency in order to allow the Agency to respond to future challenges.
MEP Eva Kaili stated: “ENISA has built an active community of cybersecurity specialists, who play a key role in developing a common understanding and a common harmonised approach to cyber security. We must take a closer look into how we can make the best use of the Agency’s work and also how we can assist them in developing their capacities”.
MEP Michal Boni said: “It has been a truly constructive visit offering valuable insight into the Agency’s flagship projects and its contribution to the area of cybersecurity. Particularly interesting was the opportunity we had to meet and discuss with the experts and gain a deeper understanding on how cyber security has become an essential element of all aspects of our daily lives, and its growing importance for citizens, business and our Member States. We need one solution for one Europe, to benefit from the future competitive advantages in the field. We are indeed satisfied with the high level of expertise and active contribution of the Agency to the EU’s level of cyber security and look forward to benefiting from their further support in this area.”
ENISA’s Executive Director Udo Helmbrecht said: “The Agency is committed to strengthening cooperation and synergies with operational communities, and identify pragmatic solutions to current security issues. Following today’s meeting, we will aim to strengthen our support for the European Parliament by providing information on NIS trends and responding to specific questions as required.’
Related Material:
ENISA Annual Report 2014
ENISA Work Programme 2015
Notes to editors:
Link to photos here
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