Trust and security in the digital world are the very foundations of a Digital Single Market. Millions of EU citizens rely on the Internet for ever more services, from e-government and healthcare to online shopping and social networks. But the digital world is vulnerable: cybersecurity incidents, from technical failures to malicious attacks, are increasing at an alarming pace.
Failure to respond to these threats will mean consumers losing confidence in the digital world, businesses losing money, e-government initiatives becoming ineffective and even national security being put at stake. Citizens have to know that the digital world is safe and secure. And because cyber-attackers do not respect national borders, an EU-wide solution is required.
The Network and Information Security Directive – proposed by the Commission in 2013 and currently in the final stages of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council – aims to ensure a high common level of cybersecurity in the EU, by:
• Improving Member States' national cybersecurity capabilities.
• Improving cooperation between Member States, and between public and private sectors.
• Requiring companies in critical sectors – such as energy, transport, banking and health – as well as key Internet services to adopt risk management practices and report major incidents to the national authorities.
Once agreed and then implemented in the Member States, the Directive will bring many benefits: • Citizens and consumers will have more trust in the technologies they rely on daily.
• Governments and businesses will be able to rely on digital networks and infrastructure to provide their essential services at home and across borders.
• The EU economy will reap the benefits of more reliable services and a culture of systematic risk management and incident reporting – creating more equal and stable conditions for anyone trying to compete in the Digital Single Market.
Want to take part in shaping EU cybersecurity practices? Over 200 organisations already participate in the public private "NIS Platform", which aims to identify and develop incentives to adopt good practices, and promote the development and adoption of secure ICT solutions.