When the systems of three oil and transport companies in Europe and Africa were brought down on February 2, 2022, Europe was preparing for a coming war in Ukraine and the impact of tensions on the Russian border were beginning to be felt in global energy markets. The cyberattack sparked a wave of anxiety that a war in Ukraine would quickly expand online, with critical infrastructure at risk. Less than a week after the attack on SEA-Invest, and just eleven days before Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine, the European Central Bank warned banks in Europe to brace themselves for a wave of Moscow-sponsored cyberattacks. It is less than 18 months since a new EU cybersecurity strategy was presented by the European Commission and critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, energy grids and railways, were highlighted as a priority, but it also highlighted the risk to everyday homes and offices. “We need to be sure that our systems are reliable,” explained Tanel Sepp, Estonian ambassador-at-large for cybersecurity.
Read more : Europe is bracing itself for cyber warfare, but is it ready?
