European Union agency would assist member states in responding to cyberattacks
The European Commission has suggested the formation of a Joint Cyber Unit to assist European Union (EU) member states in responding to and preventing cyberattacks, specifically the ransomware based attacks.
As part of the proposal, the EU would create a rapid response team to limit hacker threats, as well as establish national and cross-border monitoring and detection capabilities. According to the European Commission, the new unit would coordinate cybersecurity operations and threat intelligence sharing with member countries’ law enforcement and cyber agencies, security firms, diplomats, and military services.
Ensuring that responses are coordinated
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, better known as ENISA, would lead the Joint Cyber Unit, which would be situated in Brussels.
According to the European Commission, “The Joint Cyber Unit will act as a platform to ensure an EU coordinated response to large-scale cyber incidents and crises, as well as to offer assistance in recovering from these attacks,”
The commission intends to assess the proposed unit’s organisational aspects and identify EU operational capabilities by December 31. The commission will draft a report on the roles and responsibilities of participants in the Joint Cyber Unit by June 30, 2022, and the Council of the European Union will vote on whether the unit’s formation should be approved.
If approved, the unit would be operational by December 31, 2022, and would include the deployment of EU “rapid reaction” teams. By June 2023, private sector partners would be participating.