President of the European Commission wants a stronger Cyber ​​Protection Agency EU – update

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, stated in his State of the Union address that the European organization for the fight against internet crime is being strengthened. He also wants an intelligence service at EU level.

To back his call for a stronger European Cyber ​​Protection Agency, Juncker reported in his State of the Union address that there are 4,000 ransomware attacks a day and that 80 percent of European companies have experienced at least one cybersecurity incident.

According to Juncker, the organization must better protect the EU against internet attacks. He argues that Europe is not well prepared for this at the moment. He did not give details about the changes in the organization. The explanation to the State of the Union states that it concerns an extension of the umbrella organization for European internet protection: ENISA, which stands for European Union Agency for Network & Information Security. The proposal for the reinforcement of ENISA should be ready by the end of 2018; it must then become clear to what extent this concerns more manpower and/or an extension of powers.

Juncker also called for the creation of a new European intelligence service. This service must ensure that information about terrorists is automatically shared with and between intelligence services and police units of Member States.