At European level, Sectoral Information Sharing and Analysis Centres21 (ISACs) and corresponding CSIRTs can play a key role in preparing for and responding to cyber incidents. To ensure effective information flows on evolving threats and to facilitate the response to cyber incidents, ISACs should be encouraged to engage with the CSIRTs Network under the NIS Directive, and with the European Cybercrime Centre at Europol, CERT-EU as well as with relevant law enforcement bodies. Information exchange between stakeholders and with authorities throughout the life cycle of cyber risks requires confidence among participants that it will not expose them to liability. The Commission has noted a number of such concerns, which prevent businesses from sharing valuable threat intelligence with their peers, across sectors or with authorities, in particular across borders. The Commission will seek to address and allay such concerns in the interest of improved cyber-threat information exchange. Trusted reporting channels ensuring confidentiality are also vital to encourage businesses to report on cyber theft of trade secrets. This would make it possible to monitor and assess the damage suffered by European industry (resulting also in loss of sales and jobs) and research bodies. This would also help in designing a proper policy response. With the support of ENISA, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and EC3 at Europol, the Commission will — in dialogue with private stakeholders — set up trusted channels for voluntary reporting of cyber theft of trade secrets. This should make it possible to compile anonymised and aggregated data at EU level. This data can be shared with Member States to feed diplomatic efforts and awareness-raising actions to help protect the EU's intangible assets from cyber-attacks. To support sectoral cybersecurity, the Commission will also promote embedding cybersecurity in the development of various EU sectoral policies with cybersecurity stake. Last but not least, public authorities have a role to play in verifying the integrity of key internet infrastructures to detect issues, inform the party responsible for these networks and – wherever needed – provide assistance in fixing known vulnerabilities. National regulatory authorities could use the capacities of CSIRTs to conduct regular scans of public network infrastructures. Based on this, they could encourage operators to remedy gaps or address vulnerabilities that such scans could identify. The Commission will therefore examine the necessary legal and organisational conditions in order to allow National Regulatory Authorities – in cooperation with national cybersecurity authorities – to request CSIRTs to conduct regular vulnerability checks of public network infrastructures. National CSIRTs should be encouraged to cooperate under the CSIRTs Network on best practices in monitoring networks, thus facilitating the prevention of largescale incidents. The Commission will: - 21 foster the emergence of European cooperation of Sectoral Information Sharing and See e.g. the European Energy ISAC (http://www.ee-isac.eu). 7