Read the online version | ISSN 2600-3570
  June 2021  
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Critical Infrastructure Resilience: News, Updates and Events

Newsletter

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In this Issue
Introduction

Dear Colleague,

The European Commission is glad to launch a quarterly newsletter which provides news concerning the main activities and events, carried out across EU and beyond on critical entities and supply chains.

The newsletter focuses on latest developments, ongoing activities and relevant policy-making aimed to enhance critical infrastructure protection and resilience-based initiatives. The main recipients are Member States, operators, competent authorities, and other key stakeholders in both public and private sectors dealing with critical infrastructure resilience, sectoral interdependencies and competitive security solutions.

The newsletter is a joint effort of the European Commission's Directorate-General Migration and Home Affairs (HOME) and Joint Research Centre (JRC).

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

If you work or are interested in the area of critical infrastructure resilience, get in touch and share any interesting information by emailing us (see Contact at the bottom).

Happy reading,

The Editorial Team

Policy Updates
News from the EU
Checking progress of the Legislative Proposals for CIs

Within the context of current EU priorities, the European Commission recently put forward a package of measures aimed at enhancing the resilience of critical entities in the face of cyber- and non-cyber risks.

 
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New European Partnerships for the green and digital transition

The European Commission proposes new European Partnerships to ensure European leadership in digital technologies and infrastructures through more competitive transport systems and efficient energy production.

 
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A New European Action Plan for stronger synergies

The European Commission presents an Action Plan on synergies between Civil, Defence and Space Industries to reinforce European Innovation by exploring and exploiting the disruptive potential of technologies.

 
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EU Cloud Certification Scheme

ENISA launches a candidate cybersecurity certification scheme to harmonise the security of cloud services with EU regulations, international standards and industry best practices.

 
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News from outside EU
NATO presents the Agenda for 2030

The NATO Secretary General sets out the 2030 transatlantic agenda for the future of Alliance to reinforce unity and security as well as defend the international rules-based order in view of global challenges.

 
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USA Memorandum on Space Policy Directive

This Space Policy Directive establishes implementation actions and guidance for US space-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) programs and activities for US national and homeland security, civil, commercial, and scientific purposes.

 
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Australia reforms the Security Legislation

The Security Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 enhances security obligations on the provision of information for the critical infrastructure asset register, risk management plans and cyber incident reporting.

 
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UK Early Warning service for Cyber Threats

The NCSC helps UK organisations and critical infrastructure owners to detect cyber threats with new free alert service. The Early Warning service helps investigate cyber attacks on their network by notifying them of malicious activity that has been detected in information feeds.

 
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Networks & Cooperation
CERIS Community of R&I for Security

The EU security policy framework requires coordination among various communities. Strengthening capacities and improving resilience in the fields of CBRN-E and border security as well as in the fight against crime and terrorism, represent key EU policy and research challenges.

 
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ERNCIP Membership and Thematic Areas for CIP

The European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection (ERNCIP) has been established to improve the protection of critical infrastructures in the EU. It works in close cooperation with all types of CIP stakeholders, focusing particularly on technical protective and resilience solutions.

 
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CISA Working Group on Space Systems CI

CISA has announced the formation of a Space Systems Critical Infrastructure Working Group, a mix of government and industry members that will identify and develop strategies to minimize risks to space systems that support the nation’s critical infrastructure.

 
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EU-ISACs Consortium on Cyber Threats

Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) provide a central resource for gathering information on cyber threats to CIs. Information sharing between private-public sectors concerns root causes and incidents, experience, knowledge and analysis.

 
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Research Findings & Uptake
Spotlight on EU
ERNCIP survey on COVID-19: Emergency & Business Continuity for CIs

The ERNCIP office launched a survey to improve the knowledge on the functioning of critical utilities and supply chains during the current COVID-19 crisis. The paper discusses aspects related to business continuity status, emergency management and disaster recovery as perceived by ERNCIP Stakeholders.

 
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POSEIDON platform for Cross-Sectoral Exercises

During the ESDC training course on CIP, the JRC featured didactic online table-top exercises based on POSEIDON web-based platform: a defining and interactive tool of the pilot course to support complex and cross-sectoral exercises in both real and non-real time.

 
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7SHIELD project for Cyber-Physical Protection

This EU-funded project aims to provide a holistic framework against Cyber-Physical threats for European Space Ground Segments resilience. Safety and security standards of CIs are addressed based on novel monitoring and forecasting technologies.

 
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STOP-IT for Water Infrastructure Protection

STOP-IT project focuses on the strategic, tactical and operational protection of critical water infrastructures against physical-cyber threats by simulating customized scenarios of attacks on water distribution systems as well as supporting the real-time detection and analysis of security events.

 
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EU Cybersecurity Research Directions

This ENISA's study identifies the necessary research priorities to support the EU’s digital strategic autonomy and thus digital sovereignty. The document explores the origins and the state of the art of the topic and recommends the necessary steps to reach this long-term objective.

 
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Security Guideline for Building Perimeter Protection

A JRC guidance for security and law enforcement officials, building/site owners, state organizations, and other stakeholders in charge of securing facilities and critical infrastructures against the growing international terrorist threat including ones involving the use of UAS.

 
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Commentary & Perspectives
Ten years after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident

The purpose of OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is to foster co-operation among its member countries and many partners around the world to advance policy, safety and science related to nuclear technology.

 
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Addressing the infrastructure failure data gap

UNDRR provides a reporting on critical infrastructure investments as an important part of economic-crisis recovery towards risk-informed policies to reduce disaster damage and disruption of basic services, developing their resilience by 2030.

 
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Financial protection of CI services

The World Bank Group points out the need for public finance frameworks to establish a financial protection strategy to manage cost of damage and fiscal impact from any shock for maintaining and reinstating critical services.

 
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Insider threat mitigation guide

CISA guides from the experience of CIs to be compromised by insiders with debilitating effect on economic security, public health and public safety, by establishing an insider threat prevention and mitigation program.

 
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Towards an overall security of 5G network

ENISA releases a report to help competent authorities clarify standardization environment pertaining to 5G network and to improve security specifications and controls to be implemented by operators.

 
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The conceptual framework of Hybrid Threats

JRC and HCoE propose a conceptual model to provide a narrative with a corresponding visual representation depicting the main concepts and factors of hybrid threats landscape, accompanied by a framework for analysis.

 
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Upcoming Events
International Conference on Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Protection

ICCIRP 2021 provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, academia and practitioners to discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Protection.

Date
date 19/07/2021 - 20/07/2021
Venue
venue Copenhagen, Denmark
SeeAlso
See also Website
IEEE Conference on Cyber Security and Resilience

The technological and industrial revolution brought by complex Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) comes with new threats and cyber-attacks. These have a significant impact on the operation of various services in critical sectors which provide the vital functions that our societies depend upon.

Date
date 26/07/2021 - 28/07/2021
Venue
venue Virtual
SeeAlso
See also Website
International Conference on Critical Information Infrastructures Security

CRITIS 2021 aims to bring together researchers, professionals from academia, critical (information) infrastructure operators, industry, defence and governmental organisations working in the field of security of critical (information) infrastructure systems.

Date
date 27/09/2021 - 29/09/2021
Venue
venue Lausanne, Switzerland
SeeAlso
See also Website
CyberTech Europe

The CyberTech conference covers AI, Advanced IoT, Big Data, Cloud, Blockchain, and focuses on a wide spectrum of different sectors, threats and solutions affecting the global community, technology experts and cyber industry.

Date
date 28/09/2021 - 29/09/2021
Venue
venue Rome, Italy
SeeAlso
See also Website
Critical Infrastructure Protection & Resilience North America

The Conference aims to provide an understanding of the latest threats, challenges and solutions, from both physical and cyber perspectives, against CI, building better resilience for future continuity and sustainability for economic prosperity.

Date
date 19/10/2021 - 21/10/2021
Venue
venue New Orleans, USA
SeeAlso
See also Website
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