-
Analysis Centres, support their collaboration with CSIRTs and seek to address
barriers that prevent market participants from sharing information;
study the strategic/systemic risk resulting from cyber incidents in highly
interdependent sectors within and across national borders;
assess the need for and, if appropriate, consider additional rules and/or guidance on
cyber risk-preparedness for critical sectors;
set up with ENISA, EUIPO and EC3 trusted channels for voluntary reporting on
cyber theft of trade secrets;
promote the embedding of cybersecurity measures in European sectoral policies;
and
examine the necessary conditions to enable national authorities to request CSIRTs
to conduct regular checks of key network infrastructures.
3. CONFRONTING CHALLENGES FACING EUROPE’S CYBERSECURITY SINGLE MARKET
Europe needs high-quality, affordable and interoperable cybersecurity products and solutions.
However, the supply of ICT security products and services within the single market remains
very fragmented geographically. On the one hand, this makes it difficult for European
companies to compete on the national, European and global level; on the other, it reduces the
choice of viable and usable cybersecurity technologies that citizens and enterprises have
access to22.
Indeed, the cybersecurity industry in Europe has developed largely on the basis of national
governmental demand, including for the defence sector. Most European defence contractors
have developed cybersecurity divisions23. In parallel, a myriad of innovative SMEs has also
emerged both in specialty/niche markets (e.g. crypto systems) and in well-established markets
with new business models (e.g. antivirus software).
However, companies have difficulties growing outside their domestic, national market. The
lack of trust in the solutions offered ‘cross-border’ is the essential factor that clearly emerged
from all the consultations undertaken by the Commission24. As a consequence, much
procurement still takes place within a given Member State and many companies struggle to
achieve the economies of scale that would enable them to be more competitive both within the
internal market and globally.
The lack of interoperable solutions (technical standards), practices (process standards) and
EU-wide mechanisms of certification are among other gaps affecting the single market in
cybersecurity. In this context, cybersecurity was identified as one of the ICT Standardisation
Priorities for the Digital Single Market25.
22
See SWD(2016) 216.
See SWD(2016) 216.
24
See SWD(2016) 215.
25
COM(2016) 176/2.
23
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