Dear Readers,

One of the fastest growing needs in information management for global networks is cybersecurity and its related policies. The leading role of information technology and the growth of e-commerce have made cybersecurity essential to the economy and the operation of infrastructure systems.

In the past year, the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) has been actively strengthening bridges with fellow EU agencies that are part of its “Justice, Freedom and Security” cluster. With its mission to protect information, ENISA has been called upon to provide insight, expert advice, and guidance to its fellow agencies in order to deal with the continually expanding need for cybersecurity. We are now aiming to assist in the way cybercrime is perceived and handled on the European and international legal digital frontline.

Cyberthreats are a global reality, which is developing in increasingly rapid, sophisticated, and sinister ways, and we believe international coordination of the networks focusing on the security policy landscape is essential. This includes cooperation throughout Europe as well as worldwide, both in the public and private sectors. In many ways, it is this international dimension that distinguishes cybersecurity from what we have referred to in the past as information security.
The alignment of European and international legislative frameworks and procedures as well as collaboration models will ensure adequate policy implementation.

As announced by US Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, and European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, a joint effort to deal with cybersecurity and cybercrime issues will result in a cyber-exercise between EU Member States and the US in 2011.
Its code name was recently agreed upon: “Cyber Atlantic 2011.” ENISA will facilitate the organisation and management of this project.

Worldwide, military communities are debating matters such as cyberwar and cyberdefence; law and enforcement networks are analysing threats and solutions related to cybercrime; and intelligence task forces are concerned with cyber-espionage. In today’s information society, we are concerned with the way in which new threats affect infrastructures, applications, and information data related to internal markets as well as the EU’s Information Society.
Information security involves the protection of digital information from accidental or unauthorized access, destruction, modification, or disclosure. Now, the ever expanding dimension of the cyber highways means the magnitude of breaches is alarming, unregulated, and needs to be tackled with new strategies.

One of ENISA’s tasks is to bridge the gap between policy and operational requirements; it does so by being an impartial European platform for information exchange amongst EU Member States and also with their international counterparts. The agency is working hard in the relevant fields of information security management in order to be in the unique position of brokering the way forward.

ENISA is currently supporting the establishment of the EU Institutional CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team). The level of cyberthreats for European institutions is very high, and multiple incidents have already occurred, as recently as March/April 2011 when European Commission IT experts identified an intrusion into their systems.

A joint commitment at the international level will result in a brand new and common understanding of cyber policy implementation, ensuring consistent cross-border defence mechanisms for a safe and sound European digital society.

Prof. Udo Helmbrecht

Executive Director of ENISA