EU report says cyber attacks key security challenges

The European Commission outlined upcoming initiatives to fight cyber crime and cyber attacks -- what it called key challenges -- in a report on Wednesday.

The report is the fourth in a series of monthly reports on progress made towards an effective and sustainable Security Union, according to a Commission statement.

The report outlines initiatives aimed at further strengthening the EU's defense in this area, including the Network and Information Security (NIS) directive adopted last July that supports cooperation and exchange of information among EU member states in specific cyber security incidents.

The European Commission will hold the first meeting of the NIS cooperation group with member states in February.

Moreover, the Commission is promoting technological innovation to drive new solutions which can help strengthen the EU's resilience against cyber attacks.

European Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King stated: "With increasing concerns around cyber threats, we need to put extra effort into building our resilience within cyber space, tackling cyber crime, investing in research and innovation in this area, and cooperating widely with industry, member states and third countries."

"In the months to come, we will identify further actions to provide an effective EU-wide framework for cyber security," said King. Endit