Cyber threats
Cyber-attacks to vital infrastructure can cause major disruption, financial losses, and in some cases, loss of life. Action at EU level has been stepped up to address growing challenges linked to cyber crime.
Key information
According to EUROPOL’s 2019 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) Report, cybercrime is becoming more aggressive and confrontational across its various forms, including high-tech crimes, data breeches and sexual extortion.
The latest trendsinclude the amplification of existing cyber threats during the COVID-19 crisis.
Data is a key commodity for cyber-criminals. It is procured for immediate financial gain in many cases, but, increasingly, is also acquired to commit more complex fraud, encrypted for ransom, or used directly for extortion.
Key risk drivers
With society becoming increasingly dependent on electronic networks and information systems, the potential risks posed by cybercrime are also increasing.
Social engineering remains one of the main methods used for committing cybercrime. Phishing aimed at high value targets (e.g. refined variants of spear phishing such as CEO fraud) have become a key threat.
Digital currencies are used to pay for criminal products and services in the digital underground economy and the dark net. Cryptojacking, meaning the exploitation of internet users’ bandwidth and processing power to mine cryptocurrencies, has emerged as a new trend creating revenue for attackers, further motivating them to hack legitimate websites.
Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) continues to be a threat for businesses and public organisations, aggravated by the ‘crime-as-a-service’ (connecting specialist providers of cybercrime tools and services with organised groups) model of the digital underground.
Disinformation challenges the integrity of democratic processes, is also a key concern.
Addressing the risk: Policy framework
Directive (EU) 2016/1148 on the Security of Network and Information Systems (the NIS Directive) is the first EU-wide law on cybersecurity, and serves as a basis to ensure a high level of security of network and information systems across the EU. Actions include improving cybersecurity capabilities at national level – for example, by developing national cybersecurity strategies, setting up computer security incident response teams, and closely monitoring how well a Member State is protected against cyber threats and incidents. The Communication on ‘Making the most of NIS’provides guidance for harmonised transposition of the Directive.
Building on the 2013 European Union Cybersecurity Strategy, in 2017 the Commission and the EEAS published the Joint Communication ‘Resilience, Deterrence and Defence: Building strong cybersecurity for the EU’ as part of a cybersecurity package that set out actions to make the EU more resilient to cyberattacks; help the EU respond to cyberattacks in terms of protection and deterrence; support cooperation on cybersecurity and cyber defence globally.
The 2017 Commission Recommendation on Coordinated Response to Large Scale Cybersecurity Incidents and Crisesacts as a blueprint for a coordinated EU emergency response in the event of a large-scale cross-border cyber incident or crisis, while the 2019 Cybersecurity Act established the EU framework for cybersecurity certification of products, services and processes.
Directive (EU) 2019/713 on combating fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment presented an opportunity to deal with the transnational nature of organised crime groups active in non-cash payment fraud.
Action at EU level has been stepped up to address growing concerns and challenges linked to online disinformation. In 2018, the Commission published the Communication ‘Tackling online disinformation: a European approach’ and the ‘Action Plan against Disinformation’, outlining the key principles and objectives that should guide actions to raise public awareness about disinformation and tackle the phenomenon effectively. The 2020 Communication on ‘Secure 5G deployment in the EU – Implementing the EU toolbox’ announces Commission actions to ensure the implementation of the relevant mitigating measures to address the security risks associated with roll-out of 5G networks.
The EU Cybersecurity Strategy outlines the approach to enhancing the EU cyber resilience and autonomy in the face of technological and societal changes, taking into account the geopolitical dimension of cyber space, acceleration of digitalisation, and vulnerabilities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the risk: Supportive measures
In 2018, the Commission put forward a proposal to establish a European Cybersecurity Network and Competence Centre to help public authorities and industries across Member States prevent and respond to cyber threats more effectively, including by facilitating access to cybersecurity expertise and state of the art products and solutions. Other measures to fight disinformation include the launch of an Observatory for Social Media Analysis in 2018 and setting up of a Rapid Alert Systemin March 2019.
Last updated: 23 August 2023