Europe is confronting a massive security vulnerability because of its overwhelming dependence on American corporations for its digital backbone, a top cybersecurity official has starkly warned. Miguel De Bruycker, the director of Belgium's Centre for Cybersecurity (CCB), stated that Europe has fallen so far behind that it has effectively "lost the internet."
An "Enormous Security Problem" and Lost Sovereignty
In a candid interview, De Bruycker revealed that it is "currently impossible" to store data fully within the European Union. This is due to the dominance of US companies in the continent's digital infrastructure, including cloud services. He emphasised that even Europe's cyber defences rely heavily on cooperation from private firms, most of which are American.
"We've lost the whole cloud. We have lost the internet, let's be honest," De Bruycker told the Financial Times. He added that hoping for 100% EU-based data storage is like "keep on dreaming," calling it an unrealistic objective in a cyberspace that is overwhelmingly commercial and privately owned.
This deep-seated dependency is not just a commercial issue but represents an "enormous security problem" for the entire EU bloc. Furthermore, De Bruycker noted that Europe is missing out on critical innovations like advanced cloud computing and artificial intelligence, technologies vital for defending against modern cyberattacks.
The Path Forward: An "Airbus" for European Cyber Tech
To counter this vulnerability, the Belgian cybersecurity chief advocates for Europe to develop its own capabilities. He pointed out that while legislation like the EU's AI Act is important, it can sometimes risk "blocking" innovation. Instead, he urged EU governments to support private sector efforts to build scale in areas like cloud computing and digital ID technologies.
De Bruycker drew a historical parallel, suggesting a collective European initiative similar to the creation of the aerospace consortium Airbus. "Everybody was supporting the Airbus initiatives decades ago. We need the same initiative on [an] EU level in the cyber domain," he stated. He cited examples like France's OVHcloud and Germany's Schwarz Digital as existing European players providing essential infrastructure.
While discussions on "technological sovereignty" are growing in EU capitals, De Bruycker finds them often too vague and "religious." He called for a clearer definition of digital sovereignty, shifting energy from merely trying to block US "hyperscalers" like Amazon to focusing on "building up something by ourselves."
Rising Cyber Threats and Reliance on US Help
The warning comes amid a heightened threat landscape for Belgium, which hosts key EU and NATO institutions. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has faced increased hybrid attacks, including more cyber assaults and drone incursions.
De Bruycker disclosed that Belgium endured five major waves of DDoS attacks last year, each lasting for days. These attacks, which overwhelm and temporarily shut down websites, typically targeted up to 20 organisations daily. He attributed them generally to "Russian hacktivists," often reacting to anti-Russian statements by politicians, even those made by EU officials in Brussels.
While disruptive, De Bruycker does not see these attacks as highly damaging, noting they are more about disturbance than data theft. Ironically, he highlighted that US hyperscalers were crucial in helping salvage data from Russian cyberattacks after the Ukraine invasion began. He expressed confidence in continued cooperation with American companies to combat malicious actors, despite the political alignment of US tech firms with administrations less focused on European security.
