1 min Security

European Court of Auditors: EU institutions must improve cybersecurity

European Court of Auditors: EU institutions must improve cybersecurity

According to The European Court of Auditors (ECA), the cybersecurity of EU institutions is no match for high-level threats. The ECA urges institutions to improve.

A new report by European Court of Auditors shows that the cybersecurity of EU institutions is in bad shape. Measures vary widely between institutions and are often insufficient to counter current threats.

The poor stance can have major consequences for the EU. Many European institutions are closely connected. Targeted cyber attacks could affect the entire chain.

Tenfold increase in incidents

The ECA notes that poorly secured EU institutions are an attractive target for cybercriminals. In particular, those able to carry out covert, highly sophisticated cyberattacks for espionage and other malicious purposes.

The researchers indicate that major security incidents are often the result of complex cyberattacks involving new methods and technologies. As a result, breaches can take a long time to be found, investigated, and ultimately addressed.

Recommendations

The ECA believes that the EU should establish binding rules on cybersecurity and increased budgets for cybercrime team CERT-EU.