We must “change gear” and “scale”, and this is the challenge “for the months and years to come”. In Monaco, at the opening of the Les Assises de la sécurité trade show, the director general of Anssi urged computer security professionals to put more resources in the face of the cyber threat.
While cybercrime remains at a very high level, as well as espionage operations, the public authorities indeed fear an escalation. Before the senators, heard last week as part of the finance bill, Guillaume Poupard had clarified the nature of this risk.
The military threat, a priority
“The military threat is one that aims not to spy or blackmail, but to destroy information systems,” he explained. “It is our priority, because it could have dramatic consequences in terms of national security. From Monaco, the boss of Anssi also recalled the importance of international cooperation on this subject.
“We will not achieve effective cybersecurity by remaining Franco-French. Cooperation with NATO is a reality. With the European Union, there is remarkable collaboration. But there is a need to change scale, to develop its capacities and to make them work together. »
The Games, an opportunity for attackers
Another major priority in the medium term: the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. This summer, the public authorities logically assigned the agency the role of leader in cybersecurity. She will work on the subject with the Ministry of the Interior. The cyberfirefighter thus already plans to closely monitor the most sensitive operators, including structures that are by nature ephemeral, as they are launched only for the big event.
“We already know that there will be attacks,” warned Guillaume Poupard. It will indeed be “an ideal moment for our adversaries, when all the cameras in the world will be trained on us”.
Fears for communities and SMEs
While Anssi’s activity is primarily intended for administrations and operators of vital importance, very largely devoted to cyber defense operations to counter espionage actions, the State cyber firefighter is also concerned about the safety of communities and small businesses.
This point of interest, a sign of the administration’s desire to open up to more beneficiaries, like its English counterpart, will soon result in the publication of a guide, My secure serviceto assist these structures in their cybersecurity.
Similarly, Anssi plans to continue its process of setting up reference systems, by finalizing its work on advice after the detection of incidents or the audit. These labels of trust certify good professional practices and thus allow it to hand over to private players. Despite rising credits, cyberfirefighters cannot be everywhere.