Cybersecurity plays an important role in Europe’s economic security. However, advances in quantum computing create a new set of challenges that compromise the level of security of everything happening online. Actors like the United States and some — but not all — EU member states are already taking action to counter current and emerging threats. Yet, European coordination will be necessary to ensure a harmonised and effective response.
This Discussion Paper provides recommendations on how the EU could enhance its efforts to navigate cybersecurity risks. These include:
1.
Establishing an EU Coordinated Action Plan on the quantum transition.
2.
Establishing a new expert group within the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity with seconded national experts to exchange good practices and identify obstacles to the transition to post-quantum encryption.
3.
Assisting in setting priorities for the transition to post-quantum encryption and pushing for cryptographic agility to respond to emerging vulnerabilities.
4.
Facilitating political coordination between the European Commission, member states, national security agencies and ENISA to determine technological priorities and identify use cases for quantum-safe technologies.
5.
Facilitating technical coordination at the EU level to address research gaps in quantum-safe technologies.
6.
Exploring the use of sandboxes to accelerate the development of near-term applications of quantum information technologies.
Read the full paper here.