A productive start for EU Space ISAC

The EU Space Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (EU Space ISAC) has been busy since its inaugural Board meeting in April 2024. 

Jointly facilitated by the European Commission and EUSPA, EU Space ISAC is a network of EU and Norwegian companies in the space sector willing to develop their expertise to better prevent, tackle and mitigate security-related challenges, including cybersecurity. 

“This initiative is specifically designed to promote collaboration, raise awareness, and share information and best practices among members to strengthen their resilience and protection against security threats,” says EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

Working closely with the 12 Founding Members and with the support of its secretariat, EU Space ISAC focused the summer on a range of important activities, including the preparation of its first General Assembly. The meeting gathered more than 50 representatives from about 40 companies and public institutions. 

Held in July, the meeting was an opportunity to define the working groups to be created, select new Regular Members and Public Partners, and outline the next steps. As to the former, a Pilot Working Group on Security and Cybersecurity Threats was established, and its chair and co-chair were named. The Pilot Working Group will kick off by drafting a roadmap for its activities and hold its first workshops. 

The Board also established two other working groups, one on the Security of Networks and Cyber Operations and another dedicated to Norms, Standards and Best Practices for Space Security.  

In addition to establishing the working groups, EU Space ISAC used the General Assembly to name its new Regular Members and Public Partners. Regular Members are private entities from the EU Space sector, EU academic institutions, and other recognised institutions contributing space sector security knowledge. Public Partners, on the other hand, include such entities as EU institutions, bodies and agencies, the European Space Agency, national space agencies, and National Computer Emergency Response Teams.

EU Space ISAC also issued a new Call for Expression of Interest for additional Regular Members, the deadline is 31 October. EU companies of all sizes, along with Public Partners, are encouraged to apply.

“This is a unique opportunity to stay ahead of the curve on the latest security trends and threats, tap into an unprecedented network of security-related expertise, and be at the vanguard of developing the tools and solutions that will contribute to a safer and more secure EU Space,” says da Costa.

The next General Assembly Meeting, which will include both Founding Members and the newly selected Regular Members, is scheduled for September. 

You can learn more about EU Space ISAC here.

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