Cyber security receives less attention in election manifestos. This is according to an analysis by cybersecurity specialist Eye Security. This is striking, given the declining growing threat of cyber attacks. It is also curious due to the European Union's increasing emphasis on cyber resilience, as evidenced by the upcoming NIS2 regulation.
The analysis, comparing the 2021 and 2023 election programmes, shows a drop from 94 to 70 mentions on cyber-related topics. This indicates a decrease of almost a quarter (26 per cent) in the focus on cyber security. This trend is remarkable, especially as companies increasingly recognise cyber threats as a critical risk to their business operations.
Less attention among traditional parties
Interestingly, traditional major parties, such as the CDA and D66, showed a significant drop in attention to cyber security. CDA went from 13 to 5 mentions and D66 from 23 to 8 mentions. In contrast, the BoerBurgerBeweging (BBB) actually increased its focus on the issue, from no mentions in 2021 to 13 in 2023. The VVD maintains consistency with 14 mentions.
"It is crucial that cybersecurity in business gets more attention in politics. The decline is therefore worrying, especially given the increasing cyber threats in business. The importance of digital security in our daily lives and for our national security cannot be stressed enough," stated Job Kuijpers, CEO of Eye Security.
Parties' positions
Among the parties that do take a position on cyber, the focus is on strengthening police and intelligence services and improving digital autonomy. In addition, awareness about cyber espionage and secure data storage is emphasised. The parties' concerns are particularly on the role of ethical hackers, national cloud services and the role of ethical hackers.
Vulnerable declining businesses
Another survey by Eye Security found that despite the use of security measures such as anti-virus software and firewalls, around 20 per cent of companies still remain vulnerable to cyber incidents. It also revealed that 5 out of 100 companies had been hacked before they became Eye Security clients. This shows the crucial importance of proactive cyber protection in an era when cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated.
