Is Europe prepared for a large-scale cyberattack?

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” 

In cybersecurity, we are well aware of this bible verse (Matthew 25:13). There are three aggravating factors: we know that attacks will occur; we know who the attackers are, what tools they use, and what motivates them; and we are familiar with many of the tools and methods they will use to attack us.

However, there are some drawbacks: we have to be ready 24/7 with qualified personnel to detect any attack and respond, and our security measures must be flawless—in their design, configuration, and coverage—because any oversight or error, whether accidental or unintentional, gives the attacker an advantage. Attackers have also consistently demonstrated their capacity for innovation and are often better equipped in terms of resources to carry out their attacks.

That is why we will never be 100% prepared for any attack that might come our way.

Europe knows this and is preparing: The Cybersecurity Reserve

The European Commission is well aware of its vulnerability to cyberattacks, as a major player on the global stage and as an appealing target for those seeking financial gain from such attacks. Europe, its citizens, its businesses, and its governments are the in the crosshairs for these attacks.

However, the capacity for preparation and response to these threats is not uniform across the European Union. There are significant differences among Member States in terms of technological maturity, cyberdefence capabilities, the availability of specialized talent, and the level of protection afforded to their public and private organizations. While some countries, such as Spain, have advanced cybersecurity ecosystems and well-established national frameworks (with more than 300 cyber incident response centers in its National Network, including GMV, which holds gold-level status), other Member States face greater technical and organizational limitations in the field, both in relative and absolute terms.

The European Commission is fully aware of this situation and is working to improve Europe’s digital resilience through legislation. CSA, DORA, and NIS2 are already well known; CRA and the EU Space Act will soon be as well. But I would like to draw attention to the Cyber Solidarity Act, which aims to strengthen cooperation among Member States, accelerate progress in cybersecurity, and prepare a joint response to major cyber crises. 

The Cyber Solidarity Act defines and establishes the European Cybersecurity Reserve, a common mechanism coordinated by ENISA that empowers specialized cybersecurity providers to support Member States with advanced technical, organizational, and strategic resources to assist the country, its businesses, and its infrastructure when needed. Thanks to the Cybersecurity Reserve, even Member States with fewer resources or limited capabilities will be able to quickly access advanced services for threat monitoring, incident response, forensic analysis, and system recovery, in coordination with the other Member States through ENISA. The Cybersecurity Reserve also aims to improve the protective measures that can be taken prior to an attack and foster collaboration with other countries associated with the European Union.

GMV's Role in the Cybersecurity Reserve

The Cybersecurity Reserve consists of a small group of suppliers who have been accredited following a rigorous technical and operational evaluation process. Among them is GMV, which brings more than three decades of experience in cybersecurity and cyberdefence. Through its CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team), it is directly involved in providing support to various countries. We are a little soldier for each of the countries.

In this capacity, GMV has already activated backup services on several occasions, with excellent results and widespread acceptance by both ENISA and Member States, as well as the companies that have received this support. The most recent example is from June 2026, with GMV’s participation in  “CyberEurope 2026”, a cyber exercise that tested the EU’s joint response to a large-scale incident affecting a critical sector. GMV participated with two independent teams: one of which helped coordinate the attack simulation and the other acting as an incident response center for the attacked sectors. ENISA has already published the initial findings and lessons learned from this exercise.

Ultimately, is Europe prepared for a large-scale cyberattack?

To answer this question, I’ll turn to a classic: “I’m more prepared today than I was yesterday, but less than I will be tomorrow.”

In a landscape where threats are constantly evolving and transcending national borders, Europe is moving toward a digital defense model based on cooperation, shared resilience, and the use of high-level specialized capabilities. The integration of private initiatives and capabilities via the Cybersecurity Reserve facilitates this inclusion and ensures their optimal use in each case, based on the type of attacker, the target of the attack, and the response strategy.

Shared threats require a transnational public-private response that draws on the best available capabilities to ensure the most effective response.

Author: Mariano Benito