The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a framework for testing the preparedness of Europe’s financial systems for cyber attacks.  The European Framework for Threat Intelligence-based Ethical Red Teaming (TIBER-EU), released on May 2, is the first Europe-wide plan for strengthening the cyber defenses of the European Union’s banks, stock exchanges and other financial institutions.  In practice, TIBER-EU-based tests would employ teams of external hackers to find and exploit weaknesses in the cyber defenses of the organizations being tests. This method, known as penetration testing, is widely used in the private sector.  Determining if and when a TIBER-EU-based test will be performed is up to the “relevant authorities,” the ECB said in a press release.  “Tests will be tailor-made and will not result in a pass or fail – rather they will provide the tested entity with insight into its strengths and weaknesses, and enable it to learn and evolve to a higher level of cyber maturity,” the release read.  The European Union has seen a spike in cyberattacks targeting financial systems over the past two years.

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