3
May
2022
Watch
EU preparedness against cyber-attacks following Russia invasion on Ukraine (debate)
Mr President, Vice-Presidents, ladies and gentlemen. We can feel it: It's time to wake up. Cyber warfare increasingly dominates our everyday lives. Cyberattacks are not just against countries at war. So far, 40 Russian cyberattacks have been registered: against the electricity grid, drinking water supply, water supply systems, military coordination facilities and critical infrastructure in many other countries. This is why we need a common EU cyber defence. I stand for a common cyber-DefenceUnity of the EU. And in order to be able to act consistently and quickly against hybrid attacks and illegal content, the European Union needs to increase its competence in this area, strengthen the capacities of Europol's European Cybercrime Centre and improve cooperation between national security and intelligence services. At the same time, we need to invest more in the education and digital skills of our citizens. It's about learning from an early age to independently assess whether or not information is trustworthy. We have a lot to do – together.