Brussels, 28/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for the information society and media, urges member states to step up the security of their electronic networks and suggests that the European Union should have a “Mister Cyber Security” responsible for coordinating national action and strengthening retaliation instruments in the event of cyber-attack.
In a video posted on her internet site on Monday 27 April, Commissioner Reding expresses concern for security of networks in Europe which, she believes, are not sufficiently prepared to defend themselves against external attacks. In her opinion, coordinated action at the level of the European Union is necessary given the frightening rise in power of organised bands who threaten the European networks a little more every day. If internet connection in Europe or the United States was interrupted for just one month, this would mean economic losses of at least €150 billion, the commissioner states, deploring the “negligence” on the part of member states. Although the work of the current European agency for network and information security, ENISA, is considerable, it is more of a platform for the exchange of information between European countries and is not sufficiently widespread to be pro-active, Viviane Reding says. “Europe needs a 'Mister Cyber Security' as we have a 'Mister Foreign Affairs', a security tsar with authority to act immediately if a cyber attack is underway”, she states, before going on to assert: “I will keep fighting for this function to be established as soon as possible”. (I.L./transl.jl)