What is the ECCC? 

The European Cybersecurity Competence Center (ECCC) is a key initiative aimed at improving cybersecurity across Europe. The ECCC coordinates efforts in technology, industry and cybersecurity research, ensuring a unified and robust response to cyber threats. The ECCC facilitates collaboration between EU member states, industry leaders and research institutions. It also manages funds and resources assigned to cybersecurity, guaranteeing optimal use.

The ECCC contributes significantly to the success and effectiveness of the major cybersecurity project, positioning it as a cornerstone of Europe’s cybersecurity strategy.

The mission of the ECCC and the Network is to help the EU to:

  • Strengthen the EU’s leadership in cybersecurity by improving trust and security, including confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of data.
  • Support the resilience and reliability of networks and information systems, including critical infrastructure and commonly used hardware and software.
  • Increase global competitiveness, turning cybersecurity into a competitive advantage for EU industry.

ECCC Objectives

Specific objectives include: improving cybersecurity capabilities, knowledge and infrastructure; promote cybersecurity resilience, best practices, security by design and security certification of digital products and services; contribute to a strong European cybersecurity ecosystem and bring together stakeholders.

The EU Digital Europe program seeks to advance the digital transition in Europe, with a clear emphasis on strengthening cybersecurity, particularly in the energy field. The urgency arises from the increasing digital integration of energy systems, which amplifies the potential for cyber vulnerabilities.

Consequently, special attention has been paid to strict cybersecurity protocols designed specifically for the energy sector.

The following image shows the main pillars of the program with an emphasis on cybersecurity:

An intrinsic component of the Digital Europe Program strategy lies in the formulation and promotion of standardized cybersecurity protocols adapted exclusively to the needs of the energy sector. These protocols aim to address critical areas, including smart grid protection and secure transmission of energy-related data.

Understanding the limitations of relying solely on technological solutions, the program accentuates the imperative to improve capacity and uptake. It plans to develop customized training curricula for energy sector professionals, equipping them with the necessary skills to effectively counter and alleviate cyber threats.

In incident management and recovery, the program contemplates the creation of agile response teams that are experts in quickly addressing cybersecurity gaps within the energy sector. These teams will be involved in both immediate incident response and analysis and recovery, ensuring insights are gained and preventative measures are refined.

Supporting the implementation of EU cybersecurity legislation and national cybersecurity strategies has the expected results: incident management solutions that reduce overall cybersecurity costs, better compliance with NIS2 (EU Directive) and increased levels of situational awareness and crisis response in member states.

 

For more information about ECCC´s features, objectives and organization can be found on its website https://cybersecurity-centre.europa.eu/index_en