Driving Change, Building Resilience: ENISA's revised Strategy and Structure | ENISA

Over the past years, new EU cybersecurity legislation has emerged, widening the scope of actions in order to reinforce and strengthen the EU cybersecurity posture.

With the current objective to support the implementation of not only the Cybersecurity Act but also other key legislation including the NIS2 Directive, the Cyber Resilience Act, and the Cyber Solidarity Act, ENISA has built momentum by scaling up its operations.

Juhan Lepassaar, Executive Director at ENISA stated: “For an organisation like ENISA, agility and innovation are key elements in effectively navigating our continuously shifting cybersecurity landscape. This is why reshaping our activities is essential. Enhancing our capabilities is the only way we can guarantee the successful delivery of our services for the benefit of all.”

In 2024 the Agency delivered the first EU report on the State of Cybersecurity in the Union. This evidence-based overview of how ENISA contributed to improving EU cybersecurity maturity empowered the agency to actively demonstrate its forward thinking.

In addition, ENISA continues to invest in bringing value to its extended network of stakeholders, in particular regarding the increase of capabilities of EU Member States. This includes supporting critical sectors to be more resilient and invest in upskilling and reinforce the cybersecurity workforce of the EU.

Against this background, ENISA has undertaken:
• the remodelling of its strategy,
• the restructuring of its operational services under its new governance model, and,
• the upgrade of its website.
A reframed strategy for a clearer vision
The ENISA strategy now focuses on vertical and horizontal objectives to enhance cooperation and anticipate threats by:

Horizontal objectives:
– Empowered communities in an involved and engaged cyber ecosystem;
– Foresight on emerging and future cybersecurity opportunities and challenges;
– Consolidated and shared cybersecurity information and knowledge support for Europe;
Vertical objectives:
– Support for effective and consistent implementation of EU cybersecurity policy;
– Effective Union preparedness and response to cyber incidents, threats and cyber crises;
– Strong cyber security capacity within the EU;
– Building trust in secure digital solutions.

A reinforced structure and governance
The activities of the Agency are restructured to align with the new political objectives in order to reinforce ENISA's commitment to implement the EU strategy on cybersecurity.

Change is about enhancing how we work together and it provides a response to the challenges around the corner. ENISA's transformation supports the adaption to the growing complexity of the cybersecurity policy landscape. Concretely this refers to the next phase of NIS2, Cyber Resilience Act, the ENISA Support Action, EU Cyber Reserve and situational awareness, which along with all policy areas find a more visible way in the organisational structure.

The agency's management was reinforced in 2024, with the appointment of Hans de Vries, as Chief Cybersecurity and Operations Officer and Florian Pennings, as Associate Chief Cybersecurity and Operations Officer. Hans de Vries with extensive experience in national cybersecurity, will drive operational excellence and ensure ENISA remains agile in addressing cyber threats. His leadership is expected to enhance our support to EU member states and our operational partnerships. Florian's expertise in stakeholder engagement, strategising, and cybersecurity cooperation and policy frameworks will ensure ENISA has access to the best expertise and that the Agency continues to invest in its presence and visibility regarding its role in the EU market.

An upgraded website
The Agency launched a new website which facilitates the navigation for all types of users. The new site introduces the categorisation of the Agency's topics according to the 3 types of audience: National/EU authorities, Private Sector and Citizens.

The layout of the website is improved with advanced features for an enhanced experienced in a more user-friendly environment. The website was redesigned to mark the move towards the new ENISA era.

To explore the new website, click here.