Belgium's cyber security chief says: Europe faces an 'enormous security problem' and it is American in nature as …
Belgium's cybersecurity chief, Miguel De Bruycker , has revealed that Europe faces an
due to its heavy dependency on American companies for digital infrastructure. In a recent interview, the director of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) said that Europe has fallen so far behind the US in digital infrastructure that it has
. De Bruycker told the Financial Times that it was
to store data fully in Europe because US companies dominate digital infrastructure across the continent. The Belgian official also warned that Europe's cyber defences even depend on the cooperation of private companies, most of which are American.
he added. This dependence represents an
for the EU, said De Bruycker, who has led the CCB since it was founded a decade ago.
Beyond security concerns, Europe is also missing out on crucial new technologies being developed in the US and elsewhere, he noted. These include cloud computing and artificial intelligence, both of which are vital for defending European countries against cyberattacks. These comments raise concerns within the European security community about the EU's digital infrastructure falling into the hands of foreign actors.
How CCB chief Miguel De Bruycker said about improving Europe’s cybersecurity
Europe needs to develop its own capabilities to enhance innovation and security, De Bruycker said, adding that legislation such as the EU's AI Act, which regulates the fast-developing technology, was
innovation. He suggested that EU governments should support private efforts to build scale in areas such as cloud computing or digital identification technologies.
It could be similar to when European countries jointly created the planemaker Airbus, he said:
Companies such as OVHcloud in France and Schwarz Digital in Germany already provide essential digital infrastructure, according to IT experts.
EU countries have been worried about their reliance on US tech companies such as Amazon, with growing calls to increase Europe's
However, De Bruycker said those discussions were often
and lacked focus.
he noted.
Belgium, as a host of the EU institutions and NATO, has faced increased hybrid attacks allegedly staged by Russia, with more cyber assaults and drone incursions into its airspace since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last year, Belgium experienced five waves of DDoS attacks lasting days, in which compromised devices overwhelmed the websites of businesses and government agencies, temporarily shutting them down. De Bruycker said the attacks typically targeted up to 20 different organisations per day, with
generally behind them. Although it was unclear whether the Kremlin was directly sponsoring them, the attacks typically followed as a response to anti-Russian statements by politicians.
he said.
Although such attacks have increased, De Bruycker does not see them as particularly harmful and says they are primarily aimed at disruption. He said,
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the US hyperscalers were crucial in helping salvage data from Russian attacks, De Bruycker added.
He also expressed confidence in continued cooperation with American companies to crack down on bad actors, despite US tech companies having aligned themselves closely with the Trump administration, which has repeatedly signalled it would step away from supporting Europe's security.
Last month, the US also warned the EU about its strict rules against major tech companies. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) shared a post on X to caution the EU that it will implement sanctions on European tech companies like Spotify, SAP and others if the bloc maintains its current regulatory stance toward American tech companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft.
due to its heavy dependency on American companies for digital infrastructure. In a recent interview, the director of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) said that Europe has fallen so far behind the US in digital infrastructure that it has
to store data fully in Europe because US companies dominate digital infrastructure across the continent. The Belgian official also warned that Europe's cyber defences even depend on the cooperation of private companies, most of which are American.
for the EU, said De Bruycker, who has led the CCB since it was founded a decade ago.
Beyond security concerns, Europe is also missing out on crucial new technologies being developed in the US and elsewhere, he noted. These include cloud computing and artificial intelligence, both of which are vital for defending European countries against cyberattacks. These comments raise concerns within the European security community about the EU's digital infrastructure falling into the hands of foreign actors.
How CCB chief Miguel De Bruycker said about improving Europe’s cybersecurity
Europe needs to develop its own capabilities to enhance innovation and security, De Bruycker said, adding that legislation such as the EU's AI Act, which regulates the fast-developing technology, was
innovation. He suggested that EU governments should support private efforts to build scale in areas such as cloud computing or digital identification technologies.
It could be similar to when European countries jointly created the planemaker Airbus, he said:
Companies such as OVHcloud in France and Schwarz Digital in Germany already provide essential digital infrastructure, according to IT experts.
EU countries have been worried about their reliance on US tech companies such as Amazon, with growing calls to increase Europe's
However, De Bruycker said those discussions were often
and lacked focus.
Belgium, as a host of the EU institutions and NATO, has faced increased hybrid attacks allegedly staged by Russia, with more cyber assaults and drone incursions into its airspace since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last year, Belgium experienced five waves of DDoS attacks lasting days, in which compromised devices overwhelmed the websites of businesses and government agencies, temporarily shutting them down. De Bruycker said the attacks typically targeted up to 20 different organisations per day, with
he said.
Although such attacks have increased, De Bruycker does not see them as particularly harmful and says they are primarily aimed at disruption. He said,
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the US hyperscalers were crucial in helping salvage data from Russian attacks, De Bruycker added.
He also expressed confidence in continued cooperation with American companies to crack down on bad actors, despite US tech companies having aligned themselves closely with the Trump administration, which has repeatedly signalled it would step away from supporting Europe's security.
Last month, the US also warned the EU about its strict rules against major tech companies. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) shared a post on X to caution the EU that it will implement sanctions on European tech companies like Spotify, SAP and others if the bloc maintains its current regulatory stance toward American tech companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft.
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