EU calls for 'Mister Cyber Security'

The European Union's telecoms commissioner, Viviane Reding, has called for the creation of a European cyber security chief.

Speaking on Monday in her weekly video address, Reding claimed that the 27 EU member states had been "quite negligent" in terms of co-ordinating cyber security strategy across the continent. She cited the massive denial-of-service attack that took down Estonia's internet services in 2007 as a example of the threat that is faced.

"Although the EU has created an agency for network and information security, called ENISA, this instrument remains mainly limited to being a platform to exchange information and is not, in the short term, going to become the European headquarters of defense against cyber attacks," Reding said.

"I am not happy with that. I believe Europe must do more for the security of its communication networks. Europe needs a 'Mister Cyber Security' as we have a 'Mister Foreign Affairs', a security tsar with authority to act immediately if a cyber attack is underway, a Cyber Cop in charge of the coordination of our forces and of developing tactical plans to improve our level of resilience. I will keep fighting for this function to be established as soon as possible."