The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) has revealed that it will be looking to focus its attention on “developing good practices” when it comes to “emerging smart critical infrastructures” in 2016.
In its Work Programme document, the European Union agency said that individuals and organizations will benefit from this investment, as they will have at their disposal comprehensive and detailed security and resilience guidelines.
ENISA recognizes that the move towards an interconnected and tech-first way of living, while reflective of progress, nevertheless brings with it multiple cybersecurity risks.
Smart cities, smart grids and intelligent transport systems need to be appropriately protected, as any compromise in these areas can have serious repercussions.
The agency will concentrate on three areas over the next 12 months. This includes smart cars and intelligent road systems; smart health services and infrastructures; and smart airports.
“These emerging areas are selected based on their criticality on citizens and the economy,” ENISA explained in its document.
“The agency expects these particular sectors and services to benefit the most from the wide adoption of IoT and M2M technologies.
"The early adoption of these good practices will boost trust and confidence of potential users of such infrastructures and pave the way for the wide deployment of them.”
ENISA is approaching cybersecurity for each area in a methodical way, it stated. It will firstly identify key players – smart car manufacturers, eHealth critical service providers and major airports – and work collaboratively with them to develop solutions.
This has been a long time coming for the agency. For example, two years ago, it highlighted concern over the poor security measures that oversee Industrial Control Systems.
“Industrial Control Systems look more and more like consumer PCs,” it commented at the time.
“They are used everywhere and involve a considerable amount of software, often outdated and unpatched.”
