EU enacts new laws to strengthen cybersecurity defenses and coordination

The laws will focus on threat detection, incident response, and service certification.

The European Union has enacted two new laws to bolster its cybersecurity defenses and coordination mechanisms. The measures, part of the cybersecurity legislative package, include the Cyber Solidarity Act and amendments to the Cybersecurity Act (CSA).

These steps aim to improve the EU’s ability to detect, prepare for, and respond to cyber threats while fostering uniformity in managed security services, the Council of the EU said in a statement.

“In view of the fast-evolving threat landscape, the threat of possible large-scale cybersecurity incidents causing significant disruption or damage to critical infrastructure demands a heightened preparedness of the Union’s cybersecurity framework,” the Council’s statement read.

The legislation will come into effect 20 days after publication in the EU’s official journal.

The move addresses a critical gap in the current cybersecurity landscape. By creating standardized certification processes, the EU aims to foster trust, increase service quality, and prevent market fragmentation. Some member states had already begun developing national certification schemes, and this legislation provides a unified, comprehensive framework.

“This targeted amendment will enable the establishment of European certification schemes for these managed security services,” the Council’s statement read.  “It will help to increase their quality and comparability, foster the emergence of trusted cybersecurity service providers, and avoid fragmentation of the internal market given that some member states have already started the adoption of national certification schemes for managed security services.”

These certifications are expected to help businesses evaluate service providers more effectively, improving confidence in outsourcing critical cybersecurity functions.