The European Commission has proposed creating a Joint Cyber Unit for the EU. The permanent body would coordinate responses to large cyber-attacks and assist in prevention and recovery. EU members would be expected to contribute operational expertise and resources, with funding coming from the Commission's Digital Europe programme.
The Joint Cyber Unit was proposed earlier as part of the wider EU cybersecurity strategy unveiled last year, and the project is moving ahead as the Commission gives its first progress report on that strategy. The joint unit, which will have both a physical and virtual presence, continues a steady increase in security coordination across the EU since the Cybersecurity Act passed in 2019.
The joint unit will initially rely on the EU's Cybersecurity Agency (Enisa) to help set up operations. Enisa will open a new branch office in Brussels, in addition to its head office in Athens, to coordinate with the joint unit and Cert.eu, the team which responds to cyber threats at the EU institutions and agencies. Pending final approvals, the Joint Cyber Unit should start work within a year and be fully established within two years, the Commission said.
Tasks of the unit are expected to include delivering the EU Cybersecurity Incident and Crisis Response Plan, based on national plans; establishing and mobilising EU Cybersecurity Rapid Reaction Teams; facilitating the adoption of protocols for mutual assistance among participants; and establishing national and cross-border monitoring and detection capabilities, including Security Operation Centres.
