Legislative Developments in Cybersecurity in the EU

Abstract

Cyber-attacks have become a very serious issue in Europe, targeting essential services such as national health systems, banks, electoral campaigns or mobile services. There is certainly no one single solution to the need to improve cybersecurity, but a wide range of collective and far-reaching technical and legal measures may make it as hard as is possible for those who want to attack the security of infrastructures, services and products. This article aims to aid our understanding of cybersecurity, cyber threats, cyber-attacks and cyber defence from both legal and technological perspectives. It discusses the most recent EU cybersecurity legislative movements and considers whether current legal and technical measures, including the newly adopted EU Cybersecurity Act 2019, have provided efficient solutions to respond to radically changed cyber threats and attacks, in particular in critical services in the EU. It offers insights into the scope and limitations of technical measures in achieving the highest possible level of cybersecurity due to the unpredictable nature of certain cyber-attacks.