Toward a Data-Driven Society: A Technological Perspective on the Development of Cybersecurity and Data-Protection Policies

Technological drivers, such as IoT, blockchains and AI, are raising some challenges that need to be addressed through the definition of a common legal umbrella to regulate a future data-driven society. The current main EU legal instruments in the cybersecurity and data-protection fields, such as NIS Directive, GDPR and the EU Cybersecurity Act, must deal with incessant technological evolution.

One of the core aspects of the society we live in is that it relies on data-driven services to improve the citizens’ quality of life. Scenarios that are being enriched through recent technological advancements are, for example, transport, health and energy.

Considering these premises, it is essential to set up a common regulatory umbrella in order to provide a harmonized vision of cybersecurity.

The urgency of adapting to a future digital landscape being driven by an unprecedented technological convergence is one of the key aspects highlighted by Jose L. Hernandez-Ramos, Dimitrios Geneiatakis, Ioannis Kounelis, Gary Steri, and Igor Nai Fovino in the contribution they gave to the last issue of IEEE Security & Privacy, released in January and dedicated to the future of cybersecurity policy.

The essay uses a technological perspective to delve into the development of cybersecurity and data-protection policies, describing the current initiatives in the European Union and giving insights about the need to align ongoing technological advances with such regulatory efforts.

Since the EU will be maintaining cybersecurity and data protection as some of its main priorities to be further developed in the coming years, the authors suggest that standardization is an essential component to encourage the development of technologies aligned with new and existing regulations. Indeed, most current alliances and initiatives promote the harmonized development of new technologies to avoid a fragmented market.

Read the full essay on IEEE Xplore Digital Library: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/aboutJournal.jsp?punumber=8013