European policy on cyber attacks under scrutiny

The EU has taken a strong stance in the battle against cyber attacks

The European Union Sub-Committee on Home Affairs has announced an inquiry into burgeoning bureaucratic policy designed to protect Europe from cyber attacks.

The committee said in a Call for Evidence (PDF) that it is important that all existing risks are understood and analysed, in light of recent cyber attacks on member states, including Estonia, and international concern about the risk of large scale cyber attacks.

It will look into a number of recommendations recently announced by the European Commission that aim to tackle the very real risk of attack and highlight a number of infrastructure inadequacies.

With these in mind, the committee will investigate the recommendations and assess whether they are "realistic" and "appropriate".

One issue that the committee will consider is the extent to which the EU's intervention is appropriate. Many of the most critical systems involved are not operated by public bodies, the committee pointed out, suggesting that perhaps private businesses should be heard.

Other issues on which the committee is seeking opinions include:

* How vulnerable is the internet to widespread technical failures?
* Is the internet industry doing enough to ensure the resilience and stability of the internet, or is regulatory intervention unavoidable?
* Is the European Commission's concern about cyber attacks justified, and should the military be more involved in protecting the internet?
* Are government-operated computer emergency response teams an appropriate mechanism for dealing with internet incidents?
* Is it sensible to develop Europe-centric approaches to response infrastructure, or should there be more emphasis on a worldwide approach?

The committee is inviting any interested parties and stakeholders to comment on the subject and the issues that it raises. Submissions can be sent as an email attachment in Microsoft Word to collonm@parliament.uk, with a deadline of 13 November.