EU Cyber-security Strategy – High Level Conference, 28-02-2014
Arthur Leijtens, Program Director Trust in Digital Life association.
At the conference, that took stock of the progress of the EU Cyber-security strategy, I had a short meeting with Commissioner Neelie Kroes and highlighted the work and results of the TDL community. I was pleased to note that Mrs. Kroes was well informed about TDL and she was keen to hear more about TDL’s pragmatic approach and its focus on business development to stimulate economic growth.
She found the concept of the TDL project sprints particularly interesting. In these sprints, TDL members collaborate in small projects lasting months to plan, execute and disseminate the results. Because of the low barriers, the sprints make it easy for small and medium enterprises and knowledge institutes to collaborate with large enterprises.
In 2010, the European Commission asked me if TDL could show tangible concepts that could foster cyber security. I think Mrs. Kroes was positively surprised about the COSTAR incubator project that TDL initiated 1.5 years ago to develop affordable managed services to protect medium and small business against cybercrime involving all relevant stakeholders.
When a representative of a large international company later told me that we seemed to be quite good in promoting and lobbying TDL pointing to our positioning of TDL in the Cyber Security Strategy of the European Commission, my response was that it is not lobbying to the European Commission, but rather our good work and results that make the difference. Providing concrete results and following a pragmatic approach is what differentiates the Trust in Digital Life Association and draws attention to us.
