Initiatives for
As the national authority for Cybersecurity the CCB has developed several initiatives for specific publics which are presented here.
The NCC-BE and the European framework
The National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre Belgium (NCC-BE) is part of a European framework led by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), working alongside a network of 29 national coordination centres. This initiative helps strengthen Belgium’s cybersecurity ecosystem by driving innovation, coordinating strategic investments, and supporting organisations in accessing EU funding. We represent the Belgian cybersecurity community at the European level and connect industry, academia, and public entities to boost our technological resilience
The importance of a national coordination centre for Belgium
The technological developments, new (cross-border) cyber threats and the radical shift to digital environments changed our society at a rapid pace. It is important that Belgium keeps up with this evolution in order to meet the associated challenges.
The national coordination centre will allow Belgium to fully seize new (investment) opportunities from the EU;
In addition, the national coordination centre will improve cooperation at the national and regional levels in Belgium, which (given the current cyber challenges and constitutional context) is essential to achieve the necessary level of cybersecurity.
Image
Tasks and operations of the National Coordination Centre
The new management framework and the national coordination centre offer many opportunities to strengthen the cyber ecosystem in Belgium, to realise new growth in digitisation and its security, as well as increase Belgium's digital competitiveness. It is therefore of great importance to set up an organisation that is as efficient as possible, delivering optimal coordination between all existing and future cybersecurity initiatives.
As a national coordination centre, the NCC-BE of the Centre of Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) will have three main tasks:
- Coordinating investments from the EU
- Supporting the strategic tasks of the European Competence Centre
- Acting as a national focal point for the European management framework
In addition, the National Coordination Centre makes it possible to coordinate the competences in the field of cybersecurity – which in Belgium are shared amongst the regions, communities, and the federal government – and to define a strategic approach.
To coordinate Belgium’s position, as well as to ensure the functioning of the Belgian National Coordination Centre and the general Belgian cybersecurity investment policy, a central, national consultation platform at the working group level has been set up for all relevant administrations of federal and federated entities and of the security services.
Establishment and tasks of the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre
The ECCC, in cooperation with the network of NCCS, will build a strong cybersecurity knowledge community to facilitate cooperation and the sharing of expertise and capabilities between all relevant stakeholders, in particular research and industrial communities, as well as public authorities. This ecosystem will strengthen the capacities of the knowledge community, protect our economy and society from cyberattacks, maintain excellence in research, and strengthen the competitiveness of European industry in the field of cybersecurity.
The ECCC, together with Member States, industry, and the knowledge community, will develop and implement a common agenda for technology development in the cybersecurity domain and for its wide application in society and in business – in particular SMEs.
Legal basis
The CCB has been designated as the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre for Belgium (NCC-BE), pursuant to Article 3 bis of the Royal Decree of 10 October 2014 establishing the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium and European Regulation (EU) 2021/887 of 20 May 2021. The NCC-BE is part of a European management framework comprising the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre for Industry, Technology and Research (ECCC) and a network of 27 national coordination centres.
This framework aims at pooling and better coordinating research, technology and industrial development investments in the field of cybersecurity in the Union. The ECCC will manage financial support for cybersecurity from, in particular, the Horizon Europe (HE) and Digital Europe Programme (DEP) investment programmes. This approach will help create synergies, encourage cross-border initiatives, and avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts.