The Union has already taken important steps to ensure cybersecurity and to increase trust in digital technologies. In 2013, the Cybersecurity Strategy of the European Union was adopted to guide the Union’s policy response to cyber threats and risks. In an effort to better protect citizens online, the Union’s first legal act in the field of cybersecurity was adopted in 2016 in the form of Directive (EU) 2016/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council . Directive (EU) 2016/1148 put in place requirements concerning national capabilities in the field of cybersecurity, established the first mechanisms to enhance strategic and operational cooperation between Member States, and introduced obligations concerning security measures and incident notifications across sectors which are vital for the economy and society, such as energy, transport, drinking water supply and distribution, banking, financial market infrastructures, healthcare, digital infrastructure as well as key digital service providers (search engines, cloud computing services and online marketplaces).

A key role was attributed to ENISA in supporting the implementation of that Directive. In addition, fighting effectively against cybercrime is an important priority in the European Agenda on Security, contributing to the overall aim of achieving a high level of cybersecurity. Other legal acts such as Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directives 2002/58/EC and (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council also contribute to a high level of cybersecurity in the digital single market.