EU countries “should not be naive” about the need to protect their critical digital infrastructures from cyber attacks, the head of the EU cyber security agency said.
Speaking at an online event organised by the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin, Juhan Lepassaar said high-level measures taken to boost 5G cyber security in recent years could be replicated in other areas, such as cloud computing.
Mr Lepassaar, executive director of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), described as “very positive” the general direction taken by member states to strengthen the security of infrastructure for the next generation of mobile networks.
ENISA has been at the forefront of developing the technical and strategic measures to boost 5G security based on threat assessments made by member states, as well as an EU-wide assessment.
These assessments were carried out on the back of mounting concerns, led by the US authorities, on the purported threat posed by Huawei, the leading Chinese supplier of 5G technology.
While the EU has not specified any country or company posing a threat to the new system, Britain banned its telecoms networks from buying Huawei 5G kit from December 31 and instructed that all existing equipment must be stripped out of mobile networks by 2027.
The EU threat assessment, published last October, did state that there were “threat actors” to 5G, in particular “non-EU state or state-backed actors”. It followed this up with its toolbox on mitigating the risks.
Last month, ENISA compiled a report on the implementation of measures by member states.
Mr Lepassaar said “Europe should not be naive” on the cyber security threats facing the union.
But he said member states and the EU institutions did respond to the 5G threat “in ..
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