The European Commission has published two documents aimed at improving online security for citizens and businesses within the EU.
The new cybersecurity strategy, dubbed An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace', and the Proposed Directive of Network and Information Security (NIS) were both announced in Brussels by the Commission's vice president for the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes.
There is no true freedom without security, not when you are walking down the street and not when you are online
"We are all here because we recognise the internet is important: for our economy, for our values, and for human rights," said Kroes.
"We rely on the internet for ever more services...but the more we depend on it, the more we depend on it to be secure.
"And there is no true freedom without security, not when you are walking down the street and not when you are online," she added.
The strategy sets out five priority areas for online security. They include achieving cyber resilience, reducing cybercrime, developing a cyber defence policy and capabilities related to the Common Security and Defence Policy.
It also seeks to develop industrial and technological resources for cybersecurity, and establish a coherent international cyberspace policy for the EU.
The Commission said the proposed NIS directive is "a key component of the overall strategy and would require all member states, key internet enablers and critical infrastructure operators...to ensure a secure and trustworthy digital environment throughout the EU."
Intel and anti-virus firm McAfee issued a joint statement welcoming the move.
"These actions demonstrate the European Union's commitment and resolve to address these threats. Together with the recent creation of the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in the Hague, today's proposals further pave the way for a strong and co-ordinated response against these 21st century threats," they said in a blog post.
The full text of both documents is available to download from the European Union website.
-
Should AI PCs be part of your next hardware refresh?AI PCs are fast becoming a business staple and a surefire way to future-proof your business
-
Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI launch brace of new channel initiativesNews Westcon-Comstor and Vectra AI have announced the launch of two new channel growth initiatives focused on the managed security service provider (MSSP) space and AWS Marketplace.
-
UK and US reject Paris AI summit agreement as “Atlantic rift” on regulation growsNews The UK and US have refused to sign an international agreement on AI governance amid concerns over "practical clarity'.
-
Looking to use DeepSeek R1 in the EU? This new study shows it’s missing key criteria to comply with the EU AI ActNews The DeepSeek R1 AI model might not meet key requirements to comply with aspects of the EU AI Act, according to new research.
-
European AI alliance looks to take on Silicon Valley and develop home-grown LLMsNews OpenEuroLLM is a consortium of 20 leading European research institutions, companies, and EuroHPC centers hoping to develop a family of open source LLMs.
-
‘Archaic’ legacy tech is crippling public sector productivityNews The UK public sector has been over-reliant on contractors and too many processes are still paper-based
-
Public sector improvements, infrastructure investment, and AI pothole repairs: Tech industry welcomes UK's “ambitious” AI action planNews The new policy, less cautious than that of the previous government, has been largely welcomed by experts
-
Gaining timely insights with AI inferencing at the edgeWhitepaper Business differentiation in an AI-everywhere era
-
UK government trials chatbots in bid to bolster small business supportNews The UK government is running a private beta of a new chatbot designed to help people set up small businesses and find support.
-
Scaling AI from pilot to production: Maximize AI impact with HPE & IntelWhitepaper Transform AI proof-of-concepts into full-scale implementations
