A39: MS to carry out cyber attack simulations
Member States, in cooperation with the Commission should carry out large scale attack simulation and test mitigation strategies as of 2010.
What is the problem? Cyber-attacks threaten internet users.
Cyber-attacks are becoming ever more sophisticated. Internet users now face threats from a huge number of viruses, worms and other forms of malware.
Why is EU action needed? Cyber-terrorism is global so EU-wide cooperation is needed.
No single country can deal successfully with these menaces. International cooperation is essential at the early stages of a cyber attack. Differences in national approaches and the lack of systematic cross-border cooperation greatly reduce the effectiveness of cyber-attack countermeasures.
Cyber security exercises are still at an early stage in the EU. Member States should therefore develop national contingency plans to deal with cyber attacks. They should also organise regular exercises for responding to large scale networks security incidents and implementing disaster recovery. These measures should be adopted as steps towards closer pan-European coordination.
What will the European Commission do?
In 2011:
- The 1st pan-European exercise that took place in November 2010 (Cyber Europe 2010) is expected to act as a driver for some Member States to run their own national cyber security exercises.
- Support the exchange of experiences and good practices on exercise between Member States.
In 2012:
- ENISA will work with Member States on organising the 2nd pan-European exercise in 2012.
Contact:
michael.niebel@ec.europa.