Cybersecurity
Council of Europe adopts additional protocol to tackle cybercrime
Ministers at the Council of Europe, an international human rights body, adopted the second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Wednesday (17 November) to tackle the current surge in cybercrime.
Ransomware attacks target German companies at the same time
Several German companies, including electronics retail companies MediaMarkt and Saturn, have been affected by ransomware attacks in recent days. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU Parliament committee adopts new cybersecurity law for critical services
The leading committee of the European Parliament adopted on Thursday (28 October) a legislative proposal intended to secure Europe’s critical entities from cyberattacks.
Cybercrime threat in Germany higher than ever before
Threat levels for IT security in Germany are higher than ever before as cyberthreats increase and cybercriminals become increasingly professional, according to the IT Security Situation Report 2021 published by the Federal Office Information Security (BSI) on Thursday (21 October). EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU countries to ‘explore the potential’ of a joint cyber unit
EU member states have opened to the Commission’s proposal for a Joint Cyber Unit while remaining cautious to avoid overlapping existing initiatives.
Russian cyberattacks during German elections not yet used for disinformation
The information captured by the cyberattacks carried out against Bundestag lawmakers during Germany's federal election by a hacker group said to be associated with the Russian secret service GRU was not used for disinformation but could still give Russia a strategic edge, officials and experts have said.
Russia excluded from 30-country meeting to fight ransomware and cyber crime
Russia was not invited to attend a 30-country virtual meeting led by the United States that is aimed at combating the growing threat of ransomware and other cyber crime, a senior administration official said.
Apple continues pushback on sideloading and third-party app stores
As international pressure on Apple's increases over accusations of anti-competitive practices, the tech giant continues to push back against alternative app shops and sideloading in the name of user security.
European Parliament calls for increased EU cybersecurity capacity
In a resolution on the state of the EU cyber defence capabilities, the European Parliament called on the European Commission and EU member states to increase spending and staff dedicated to cyber defence.
EU demands end to Russian-linked cyberattacks ahead of German elections
The European Union has called for an immediate end to malicious cyber activity by a group believed to be linked with the Russian state, following attacks against a number of EU countries.
Xiaomi says its smartphones do not censor users following Lithuania report
China's Xiaomi Corp said on Wednesday (22 September) that its devices do not censor users' communications, a day after Lithuania's Defence Ministry recommended that consumers avoid Chinese phones due to a censoring feature in the smartphone giant's flagship phone.
Russian hackers targeted Afghan government before Taliban takeover, cybersecurity firm says
Talos Intelligence, the commercial threat intelligence team of software provider Cisco, said on Tuesday (21 September) it had identified a previously undocumented backdoor targeting the Afghan government ahead of the pullout of Western forces from the country in late August.
Commission launches recommendation on safety of journalists
European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová presented on Thursday (16 September) a Recommendation on the Safety of Journalists, urging EU countries to address security concerns in an environment increasingly hostile towards the media.
EU chief announces cybersecurity law for connected devices
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday (15 September) a Cyber Resilience Act aimed at setting common cybersecurity standards for connected devices.
Digital Brief powered by Facebook: Nvidia seeks clearance, Germany’s conflicting views, DMA & DSA Council updates
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “We are working through the regulatory process and we look forward to engaging with the European Commission to address...
Germany probes claims of pre-election MP hacking by Russia
German federal prosecutors said Thursday (9 September) they are probing alleged hacking attacks against lawmakers ahead of this month's German election that Berlin has blamed on Russia.
ProtonMail slams French tactics following backlash on climate activist case
Encrypted email service ProtonMail has come under fire after it gave the IP address of a climate activist to the Swiss judiciary at the request of the French police. The company said it had no other choice and criticised France's tactics to obtain the information. EURACTIV France reports.
Estonia proposes NATO-like expenditure rule for cybersecurity
Estonian Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Andres Sutt proposed the introduction of NATO like expenditure rules for cybersecurity spending of the private and public sector to close the investment gap and tackle cyber threats.
Internet of Things is missing horizontal cybersecurity standards
A report released by trade association DigitalEurope on Wednesday (8 September) underlined the lack of baseline cybersecurity requirements, saying the existing rules were insufficient and calling for a horizontal regulation as the EU is working on updating its cybersecurity legislation.
Digital Brief: Big Tech, Big Lobbying, Ireland’s fine, politics-free Facebook
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “The Commission is open to meeting anyone who wishes to speak to us. The Commission does not, and will...
Digital Brief powered by Facebook: US national (cyber)security, UK tech superpower bid
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “I’ve invited you all here today because you have the power, the capacity, and the responsibility, I believe, to...
Biden calls on tech giants to ‘raise the bar’ on cybersecurity
US President Joe Biden urged Big Tech leaders to step up their game in enhancing the country’s cybersecurity, following a series of high-profile cyber-attacks in recent months.
TikTok to open new cybersecurity centre in Dublin
TikTok is launching a new cybersecurity centre in Ireland, the first of a number of “fusion centres” designed to respond in real-time to cyberthreats.