Malta can become Europe’s next cybersecurity hub – MEP Peter Agius

Malta can be the next European hub for Cybersecurity, said MEP Peter Agius as he hosted a conference on Cyber Resilience and EU regulations at the European Parliament. 

Malta is now home to over 25 companies offering cyber security services and with a growing ambition to serve companies in Europe and worldwide to ensure their products' and services' compliance with the EU cyber resilience act. 

‘Malta can be the next European hub for Cybersecurity. We can replicate Malta’s success in gaming in cybersecurity by empowering private sector operators to grow in Malta, servicing our security needs while providing for more quality jobs,' said MEP Agius.

Agius said the threats online are real. Cyber risks exist in every internet-connected product we use - from baby monitors and smart doorbells to children’s toys. 

This reality was discussed during the conference, which brought together stakeholders and decision makers at the European Parliament. The event, organised by Agius together with Comply.land and MVC, focused on the implementation of the new European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the role Member States can play in transforming European regulation into real protection for citizens.

Panellists, including Daniel Yvetot of Creb nebula and Martin Chatel of ETSI, described how many digital products enter the European market with weak passwords, multiple vulnerabilities, and without any obligation to keep their security up to date. 

In the past, this led to serious incidents - such as in 2016, when the Mirai botnet exploited the vulnerabilities of hundreds of thousands of insecure devices to attack critical infrastructure across Europe and the United States.

The conference examined how the CRA now provides for a set of security requirements for internet connected products before these are placed on the European market. This means that products such as Wi-Fi-connected toys must be secure by design, include clear procedures for vulnerability handling, and provide security updates throughout their entire lifecycle.

MEP Agius praised Malta’s proactive stance in cyber resilience. “It is very positive that cybersecurity has been identified as a national strategic pillar, and that the work being carried out by both the public and private sectors is making our country a trusted partner for European compliance,” Dr Agius said.

Daniel Thompson-Yvetot, Founder of Comply.land, emphasised the broader impact of regulatory alignment during the event insisting that: “Compliance with EU regulations enables every manufacturer to directly support European consumers.”

Participants called on European countries to ensure their regulatory frameworks are robust and well equipped, stressing that risks and threats to digital systems are not only harmful to economies, but also to democracy.

Dr Agius echoed the views of professionals in the field, reaffirming that Malta’s past experiences shows how public private cooperation can strengthen concrete protection for European families across the EU.