Cybersecurity post-COVID-19: Lessons learned and policy recommendations

Abstract

This article looks at the impact of the novel coronavirus crisis and increased remote work on cybersecurity and the priorities for EU action. Actions should include improving the cybersecurity of businesses, critical infrastructure and users, and creating an EU cybersecurity industry. As more and more aspects of our lives happen online, we are becoming more vulnerable to malicious attacks. This was demonstrated in 2020 when cyber-attacks increasingly disrupted the work of hospitals, service providers, government services and businesses across the globe. The frequency and scale of the attacks created a sense of urgency to improve our cybersecurity resilience. This article argues that the EU should reap the benefits of cybersecurity by pursuing a more ambitious cybersecurity agenda and putting EU values at the core of its approach. It also calls for cybersecurity to be included in all EU pillars, including the EU industrial research and innovation policy, as well as in EU investment plans and diplomatic strategy.