We’ve been paying special attention to the topic of privacy lately, what with the Facebook case and the GDPR, which will replace the old regulation as of May 25. Everyone knows how important the security of personal data is; in this regard the European Union has been directly active since 2012 with the Cert-Eu, acronym for Computer Emergency Response Team, a group of experts specialized in cyber-security from the main European institutions (European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Committee of the Regions and European Economic and Social Committee). Cert-Eu was born precisely because of the recent cyber-attacks, increasingly heavy and increasingly frequent, that have caused several problems to the European Union; a well-known example is the Wannacryransomware that in 2017 affected more than two hundred thousand computers in more than one hundred and fifty states. Back in 2010 in the European Digital Agenda, the European Union declared that it needed a reinforced and efficient cyber defense system, so the help of four cyber-security experts known as “Rat der IT Weisen” -committee of IT wise men- was requested, drawing up a report of how to establish an emergency team to counter cyber threats, finished in November 2010. The Digital Agenda for Europe also suggested that each EU member state, set up its own defense team. Cert-Eu was thus born on September 11, 2012.

A few days ago, the Director General of DG Innovation and Technological Support of the Eurochamber, as well as a member of the steering committee of Cert-Eu, during an interview said the officialization of the same: “The European Parliament has created the figure of the Cyber-security officer and recently the birth of Cert-Eu, the interinstitutional committee for rapid response to cyber threats, has been made official”. Viella concludes by saying: “an important change of step that greatly strengthens us in the fight against cyber-crime and political crime in the IT sector”.

What is certain is that, despite the additional security that this operational body provides us with, the risk of a virus or malware attacking our computers obviously remains very high, and no matter how many antivirus programs we may equip our devices with, we will never be immune. The first and most effective bulwark of defense, as well as the biggest security hole, is in fact us.

 

Marco Serico