The background - a safer digital future with the Cyber Resilience Act
Nowadays, cybersecurity is a priority for the digital EU agenda: Europe is defining standards and principles for cybersecurity through specific investments and legislative proposals such as the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), which establishes stricter obligations for software providers for ensuring the security of their products and services.
With this Regulation, the EU aims to improve the inadequate level of cybersecurity in many products and softwares and help consumers and businesses to correctly determine which products are cybersafe.
Here, in order for manufactures to comply to the CRA, harmonised European standards need to be defined and developed. These should be based on an upcoming CRA standardisation request, currently in draft version, which is expected to be published by the European Commission in Autumn.
CYBERSTAND.eu: standards as a response to cybersecurity threats
Within this context, the EU has funded the CYBERSTAND.eu project, under the Digital Europe Programme: to support European interests in cybersecurity standardisation, the project aims at empowering European stakeholders to engage in the development of standards in relation to the proposed Regulation on the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
To reach this goal, CYBERSTAND will launch six cycles for service provisions, or Specific Service Procedures (SSP), over the next three years. The topics of the SSPs will cover the areas of the Standardisation request, including the further development of already existing international standards, and will be defined through continuous monitoring analysis of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and its Standardisation Requests.
CYBERSTAND.eu and its support to cybersecurity experts
On the 5th of August the 1st cycle of SSP was launched, closing on the 4th of October 2024 at 17:00 CEST.
Potential applicants of CYBERSTAND.eu SSPs are European specialists who:
- Are individuals or natural persons residing in European Member States and Associate countries (Link ad European member states and associate countries) from both public and private sectors, industry and service companies, including SMEs and start-ups, academia and research, and national and European associations, including NGOs representing consumer interests;
- Have experience regarding developments of standards, e.g., existing standards for development for CRA, SReq; existing CRA-related TC/WGs for development;
- Are not receiving support from other instruments (PPPs, EU or national R&I projects) for the proposed activities.
If you are an expert in cybersecurity standardisation activities, you can apply now to our 1st SSP here.
The role of Trust-IT Services in CYBERSTAND.eu
After the experience gained with other successful cybersecurity projects - such as cyberwiser and cyberwatching - Trust-IT Services is proudly coordinating CYBERSTAND.eu, leading Work Package 1 on project management and coordination and Work Package 4 on Communication & dissemination, engagement, training, and sustainability.
This includes guaranteeing timely and high-quality results through the efficient administrative, technical, organisational and financial coordination, together with the definition of the CYBERSTAND.eu branding strategy and the organisation of events aiming at improving the general awareness of cybersecurity standards in Europe.
Moreover, building on the successful management of similar projects such as StandICT.eu and SEEBlocks, Trust-IT is also leading the set-up and management of the project’s online Platform, which will include the Trust-Grants platform (including the handling of specific support procedures management, evaluation/admin processes).
