Luxembourg braced for cyber wars

A “quick reaction task-force” along with a strategic unit will soon be operational in Luxembourg to combat cyber crime.

The news came in an announcement on Monday afternoon by Communications Minister François Biltgen, who higlighted that the Grand Duchy was at risk of falling prey to cybercrime and hacking.

“War used to be tangible” explained Biltgen, adding: “But nowadays we don’t send out tanks to the borders, the enemy attacks virtually”.

Mr Biltgen cited the situation in Estonia in 2007 where, after the removal of a soviet war memorial, Estonian websites and communication networks for banks, political parties, media, and the government were paralysed for days by hackers.

With the parliament incapable of acting, Estonia turned to NATO but even the alliance was helpless.

Biltgen: “We are lacking in coordination”

Luxembourg is especially vulnerable, the minister explained. “Apart from the fact that it's a European capital, this is a country with important infrastructure, a great financial centre”.

Add on the fact that the country is due to become a leading force in cloud-computing, and one thing is clear: The Grand Duchy is lacking in coordination.

The communications minister emphasised that as the economy relies more and more on information and communication technologies, the risk of falling victim to cybercrime was growing. At the same time, he stressed the importance of tackling the problem to remain trustworthy.

For this reason, the country is planning to invest further in cyber security, by creating the country's first task-force. The six-strong delegation dubbed the “Computer Emergency Response Team” (CERT) will operate under the supervision of the state.

Among other things it will be responsible for tackling cyber threats and will be headed up IT expert Patrick Houtsch, from the National Centre for Information Technologies (CITE).

“In emergencies we will have to act as quickly as possible in order to identify the threat and rectify the situation”, explained Houtsch. “We must also provide for preventative resources to be provided in close collaboration with the private sector”.

This, however, will only work if all those involved are well informed and well prepared. This will be only one of CERT's tasks. The budget forecast per year for the newly created agency is estimated at 1,2 million euros.

In addition there will be a “Cyber-security Board” set up to focus on strategic activities. Representatives of the six national administration offices are to meet in order to improve coordination.

The close cooperation with partner agencies from abroad is based on everyday and personal contact. "It is crucial to get to know the people from abroad on a more personal level as it facilitates teamwork immensely", emphasised Mr Biltgen. Prevention is the key. If a Luxembourg bank falls victim to a hacker then it is not only the image of the bank that will suffer but the whole country.

“We must think like hackers, otherwise cyber crime will always be one step ahead of us”, explained Biltgen. "This is why we are working alongside researchers from the University of Luxembourg, who, as part of their doctorate research, are working on ways of detecting weak points in the Luxembourg system. This should result in not only national websites and communication networks being protected but also mobile communications networks, private websites and company networks."