Cyber attack deflection and data loss prevention are key to many businesses and organisations, so the news that the EU has begun to formulate a new directive on the subject will be welcome to many.
While the directive will be intended to expand the official recognition given to cyber attacks of a previously unseen scale, it will also give member states the powers to better tackle and punish those cybercriminals associated with perpetrating such attacks.
The EU wants to make sure that there is transcontinental protection available to keep data and information safe and stored securely, as the growth threat of widespread, damaging attacks presses on the minds of many in the public and private sectors.
The European Commission’s Cecilia Malmstrom, said that this was a concerted effort to redouble the force of the movement to counteract and neutralise cybercriminals and malicious attacks on systems.
Malmstrom explained that the ultimate goal was to make the development and distribution of malware for financial gain an act recognised in international criminal law and punishable as appropriate.
It is thought that by updating regulations relating to cybercrime, the working partnership between law enforcement organisations and the judiciary aspects of each nation, will be improved and streamlined.
The sharing of information between various bodies will be less hampered by red tape if the directive is ratified and this will allow time-sensitive cases to be tackled with greater ease.
It is also proposed that the detection, cataloguing and mapping of cyber attacks will become a key concern, allowing central analysis to gather data on potentially harmful software and groups.
The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) is also being targeted by a new drive to give greater powers to this international body. Within the next seven years ENISA is set to expand and become better equipped to tackle and intercept the increasing risks posed by criminal organisations.
ENISA will not only be facing off against lawbreakers, but it will also help businesses and organisations to prepare, by running simulations that will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of any security setup.
