The cyberattack on the American Viasat satellite at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrated how important and strategically important telecommunications networks are. It is not clear whether Moscow is behind this, but all eyes are on the Kremlin. This offensive has deprived the Internet of tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Europeans. A breakthrough that reminded the European Union (EU) of the importance of having reliable, secure and, above all, sovereign infrastructures.
During a press conference this Wednesday, following an informal meeting of European telecommunication ministers under the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner in charge of the internal market, considered the topic relevant. “essential”.
After the attack on the Viasat satellite, “a private company was needed [Starlink, la constellation satellitaire d’Elon Musk, Ndlr] come to support [de l’Ukraine] to provide additional services,” he said. “For us, this is unacceptable,” he continued. At this level, we must be sovereign. »
In his opinion, it is important that Europe has its own alternatives to terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure, if the latter become a victim of cyber attacks or deliberate damage. In this regard, Thierry Breton considers it all the more important that Europe quickly acquire its own constellation of low-orbit satellites. Even if its launch is currently only scheduled for 2024…
Ensuring the “stability” of communication infrastructures
All European communications ministers agreed that it is essential that the EU strengthens the “resilience” and security of its telecommunications networks, which are essential for the proper functioning of the Internet. This applies to ground infrastructures. But so are submarine cables, those fiber optic backbones that lie at the bottom of the sea, on which the proper functioning of Europe’s digital ecosystem today depends. Remember that NATO feared for years, long before the war in Ukraine, that Russia would one day attack these vital infrastructures of the Old Continent. In the current crisis, this scenario worries many governments and experts.
Satellite networks will also suffer, especially after a cyber attack on Viasat. Thierry Breton said that recently in Toulouse, in the presence of Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France, exercises were carried out to attack these infrastructure facilities. The aim was to identify possible shortcomings and to ensure that all parties involved knew from the outset how to respond.
The cyber threat is growing
Another concern of European communications ministers concerns the “recent increase in the level of the cyber threat”, which is “exacerbated by the situation in Ukraine”. According to Cedric Oh, Secretary of State for Digital Technology, the 27 EU member states want the NIS 2 directive, which expands the range of sectors and companies subject to cybersecurity obligations, to be “adopted as soon as possible.” In addition, “we all declared the need to build a European cyber shield very quickly,” added Thierry Breton.
The goal here is for the EU to equip itself with an SOC (Security Operations Center) for “monitoring and predicting attacks,” the commissioner specified. The official also called for increased coordination and cooperation among the various national organizations responsible for cybersecurity.
These considerations come after Anssi, the French agency in charge of cybersecurity, said on Wednesday that computer attacks have skyrocketed in the past year. “The number of confirmed intrusions into information systems” reported by his services increased by 37%. Which, in quantitative terms, represents “nearly three confirmed intrusions per day,” the agency continues. According to Anssi, along with the attacks carried out by “public figures”, the United States did not stand aside. “The attack on critical infrastructures by state-level actors continues, especially in the context of escalating geopolitical tensions,” the national body dealing with the security and protection of information systems also explains.
Finally, according to Cedric Oh, European communications ministers are coordinating the provision of “computer and electronic equipment” to Ukraine to keep its telecommunications networks operational.
Pierre Way
March 09, 2022, 18:16