As communication networks and information systems have become an essential factor in economic and social development, their security is an increasing concern to the society. This is a reason why in 2004 the European Union established a European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) for the benefit of all Member States.
One of the tasks of ENISA is to establish a common baseline of capabilities and services provided by the National / Governmental CERTs (Computer Emergency Response Team) of EU Member States, which already work in most of EU countries. Without a common baseline it is extremely difficult for them to act coherently at the European level.
For this goal ENISA announced a tender for carrying out a Survey of CERT services in Europe. The results of the Survey will help to identify a minimum level of baseline capabilities and services for a well-functioning CERT teams.
SigmaNet - the academic network of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia has its own CERT team and is active in the research of network security. SigmaNet was invited by ENISA to participate in the tender. The result was excellent – the SigmaNet’s offer was chosen as the most convincing one and the contract has been awarded.
Baiba Kaškina, the project manager, says – we have come to the era when demands on national CERTs are increasing, therefore it is important to increase the maturity of the CERT community. The Survey will be a tool to learn about the current situation and to envisage the way ahead. No doubt, the project will be very demanding, but also very valuable for the entire CERT community, including our CERT team and other teams in Latvia.