Lëtz Talk About Cyber with Pascal Steichen, the first Chair of the Governing Board of the ECCC
Pascal Steichen, a well-known figure of the Luxembourg cybersecurity scene, CEO of the agency SECURITYMADEIN.LU, has recently been elected the first Chairperson of the Governing Board of the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre. He gave his first interview as such to Melanie Delannoy, Communications & PR Advisor, Cybersec enthusiast, for CYBERSECURITY Luxembourg.
Pascal Steichen, who usually hostss personalities in the field of cybersecurity, is now taking a seat on the other side to describe his new position.
On 16 February 2022, Pascal Steichen, whose appetite for the development of cybersecurity in Luxembourg and on a European scale knows no bounds, has been elected the first Chairperson of the Governing Board of the new European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC).
An adventure for Luxembourg that has already started 3 years ago, as the country - and Pascal Steichen, was involved in the development of the ECCC regulation (at the origin of the creation of the European Centre).
The ECCC will be active in the fields of research, technology and innovation with the aim of significantly accelerating the development of cybersecurity in Europe, Pascal Steichen explains.
In the next few months, background missions will be done in order to settle the new Centre. The start of activities are expected for the end of 2022, with the announcement of an official agenda that will set the priorities.
However, the newly elected Chair of the GB of the ECCC can already ensure that one of the most important task of the ECCC will be to create visibility of what is already existing in terms of cybersecurity in Europe - *"because a lot is already done and lack visibility", *he says. In order to fulfil this objective, the observatory role of the ECCC will be of utmost importance as well as it will allow to identify the gaps and needs to address the emerging threats.
How is this election impacting Luxembourg?
"SECURITYMADEIN.LU has been nominated National Cybersecurity Competence Centre (NCC), with the main objective of fostering the local community", he explains.
The NCC will have the responsibility of managing the European funding/calls as well as its own specific national programmes to accelerate the development of local activities.
How has the cybersecurity landscape changed over the last 20 years?
Pascal Steichen describes the past 5-6 years as "a huge change in how cybersecurity is perceived and addressed", stating the changes he has observed in the "interactions with the entities and willingness to develop common actions".
"The mission of the agency itself has changed", he continues. "Our role focuses more and more on the ecosystem in order to show the huge offer available in line with the raising demand".
He also adds here the lessons learned: "flexibility, adaptation and perseverance are of utmost importance. Never forget the focus, the target."
What doesn't happen today, will tomorrow.
What about the next 5 years?
In the near future, House of Cybersecurity will be created. It will reshape the agency's activities, focusing on innovation. So stay tuned...
The mid & long terms objectives are defined by the National Cybersecurity Strategy and the European Strategy.
And because the Letz Talk About Cyber series always tackles the personal traits of the guest, it is no exception with Pascal Steichen. You will finally know... what's up with the scarf? Make sure to watch until the end!
Watch the interview
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