The impact of rapidly evolving cyberspace security initiatives in the EU and US on international long term critical infrastructure projects such as in aerospace.

Synaptic applauds section 2.6 of draft Deliverable 3.1B on International Cooperation and the existing efforts of the EU and the US to improve collaboration efforts. In this input to Think-Trust we point to the strong calls in both Europe and the United States for improved international cooperation and particularly to develop new international security standards. We point to the strong commitment in the USA to rapidly create new cybersecurity solutions to protect their ICT infrastructure. We outline some of the US cybersecurity initiatives that will impact on EU and wider international collaborative projects. We use an example of a long term international critical infrastructure (aviation) project that will depend heavily on cyberspace security.

"Our objective is to highlight the need for D3.1B to recommend to the EC that international collaboration and coordination programs and projects must be increased in intensity to support long term international infrastructure projects. We also strongly suggest that D3.1B should include a recommendation that major EC funded projects with international impact must be specifically required to stay informed of the rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape in both EU and US cybersecurity initiatives so that they take into account security risks now being clearly identified, and to ensure that such EC funded projects do not become constrained in the medium and long term by the nearer term deployment of known at risk or obsoleting security solutions."

"We also recommend that section 2.6 of D3.1B includes mechanisms and examples of HOW it is possible for EU funded researchers to collaborate with the US funded researchers effectively on the SAME project to create a unified deliverable. If these are not known then a recommendation should be made that this area must be explored."

Benjamin Gittins, Ronald Kelson, "Part 2 of Synaptic Laboratories Limited's input to ThinkTrust's consultation on their D3.1b Recommendations Report to the European Commission", January 2010