European Union Holds Largest-Ever Cyber-Security Exercise
The European Network and Information Security Agency coordinated an exercise based in Athens
- By Matt Holden
- Oct 31, 2014
The European Union (EU) carried out its biggest exercise to prevent cyber-attacks on Europe’s public utilities and communications networks, according to a report.
Udo Helmbrecht, the director of the European Network and Information Security Agency, said the one-day exercise involving 29 countries and 200 agencies dealt with attack scenarios against “critical infrastructure.”
He cited past incidents including a wave of cyber-attacks against Estonia in 2007 that severely affected the country’s banks and government agencies as well as the Stuxnet computer virus that was used to target energy and industrial sites in Iran.
“Now this malware is out in the world, so if you are a criminal you can re-engineer it and use it to attack a water supply, or a car manufacturing plant, or a government,” said Helmbrecht.
The EU agency says web-based attacks increased globally by nearly a quarter in 2013 from a year earlier.
“The sophistication and volume of cyber-attacks are increasing nearly every day,” said Neelie Kroes, the EU Commission vice president. “They cannot be countered if individual states work along or just a handful of them act together.”
About the Author
Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.