EU to establish its secure data cloud and e-identity

State of the Union Address by the President of the European Commission von der Leyen underlined cybersecurity to be one of the core principles of Europe’s Digital Decade, along with the right to privacy and connectivity, freedom of speech, and free flow of data. In particular, the EU is working on establishing the European data cloud, based on the highest standards of data sovereignty and security, to better use and share vast amounts of industrial data in a trusted environment. European Commission will also propose a secure European e-identity, allowing citizens to use it for anything from paying taxes to ‘renting a bicycle’, yet with a high level of control over how personal data is used. Not least, the EU intends to invest heavily in its secure digital infrastructure, in particular through 5G, 6G and fiber, in order to extend connectivity to rural areas.