Why the Time is Ripe for an EU Joint Cyber Unit

A spate of cyberattacks have wreaked havoc in the world over the last few years. From the SolarWind attack in the US in 2020 that endangered hundreds of companies, the ransomware attack against JBS - the world’s largest meat supplier - that paralyzed several of its systems in multiple countries, to the numerous attacks against hospitals in France since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, effective defense policies against cyber threats are needed more than ever. This is why in January 2021, the European Union created a Joint Cyber Unit, to help European member states fight against these increasingly sophisticated and brash cyberattacks. Its objective is to "ensure an EU coordinated response, create more situational awareness and guarantee the preparedness to large-scale cybersecurity crises". Yet the EU, unlike the US, has no centralized federal forces to take unilateral actions on behalf of the whole "country". This means that cyberattacks targeting several States would still be treated as national security emergencies. Can this Joint Cyber Unit be an effective tool of coordination between the EU Member States against future cyberattacks? Patrick Calvar, Head of C. Conseil and Special Advisor on Security at Institut Montaigne, sheds light on this new initiative. 

European Union (EU) countries have been reluctant to hand over national security authority to the EU. However, recent cyberattacks in many European countries during the Covid-19 crisis have highlighted the need for a joint and coordinated response at the European level. Can the Joint Cyber Unit react quickly enough in the face of attacks against member state organizations?

The digital revolution still presents major challenges, the consequences of which are difficult to assess, especially in light of the technological progress being made on a daily basis. These consequences affect both our citizens and our governments. Our individual liberties are being tested, as well as the power and sovereignty of our countries. Simply put, these are very powerful new tools, useful to state intelligence services, but also to criminals and terrorists. Several recent events have exposed the weaknesses of our defenses against cyber attacks. Some have reached such a level of sophistication that they are difficult to detect and trace, not to mention the damage they cause, which is often difficult to estimate. The massive cyber attack on SolarWinds, an American company, is a case in point.