EU-Wide Incident Response Scheme to Be Organized by ENISA Under €36 Million Budget from the EU
The European Union (EU) has taken a significant step towards enhancing its cybersecurity capabilities with the launch of the EU Cybersecurity Reserve. This virtual pool of incident response services from trusted private sector providers is a key component of the EU's efforts to improve cyber-resilience across the continent.
The EU's security agency, ENISA, has been entrusted with the operation of the reserve, following a €36m ($42m) funding allocation from the Digital Europe Programme (DEP). This new agreement will add €36m to ENISA's budget, to be spent over three years.
The European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre (ECCC) has been commissioned to operate the EU cyberattack protection reserve with the same €36 million contribution.
The European cybersecurity certification scheme for Managed Security Services (MSS) is a new initiative by ENISA, aimed at ensuring the quality and reliability of services provided by MSS providers. This scheme, launched last year, will initially focus on incident response delivered through the EU Cybersecurity Reserve.
MSS providers will be required to certify their services two years after the certification scheme has been implemented. They are expected to certify their services after the scheme has been implemented, ensuring that the EU's digital single market benefits from a more cyber secure environment.
ENISA will procure incident response services from providers and assess requests for support from member states' cyber-crisis management authorities and/or CSIRTs, or CERT-EU. Juhan Lepassaar, ENISA executive director, considers ENISA's role in the EU Cybersecurity Reserve as a chance to be a dependable partner in the European cybersecurity community.
The EU Cybersecurity Reserve aims to boost response and recovery in the event of significant or large-scale cybersecurity incidents. It will prioritise entities in the critical sectors referenced in NIS2, ensuring that the most vulnerable sectors are protected.
The EU Cyber Solidarity Act established the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, as part of a broader strategy to enhance the EU's collective cybersecurity capabilities. The reserve is designed to contribute to a more cyber secure digital single market, ensuring that businesses and citizens can operate with confidence in the digital realm.
The Digital Europe Programme (DEP) countries, including the UK and Ukraine, will benefit from the enhanced cybersecurity measures provided by the EU Cybersecurity Reserve. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the EU is demonstrating its commitment to protecting its citizens and businesses from potential cyber threats.
