US Cyber Chief Calls for Tech Alliance in Europe
Trump's cyber policy forces Europe to choose: US or China tech stack. The sovereignty of the old continent is the topic of the Munich Cyber Security Conference.
Sean Cairncross, U.S. National Cyber Director, at the Munich Cyber Security Conference
(Image: MCSC / X)
“America First” also applies in cyberspace. Trump's top cyber policy representative sees Europe facing the choice of opting for US technologies or those of competitor China. The sovereignty of the old continent is at the center of many debates at the Munich Cyber Security Conference under the motto “Command, Control, Really?”.
With a large official US delegation, Trump's administration announced its return at the Cyber Security Conference, which started on the eve of the Munich Security Conference. Last year, the Trump team had not yet taken office shortly after the US President's inauguration.
Clean US Tech Stack
Sean Cairncross, National Cyber Director in the White House, announced a diplomatic initiative for a “Clean Tech Stack” based on US systems and those of allies to a large audience at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Munich. Currently, essentially only US technology and China's tech stack are available for choice, Cairncross said. “I cannot understand if one makes no distinction between these two.”
The USA does not want to pour a surveillance state into technology and does not want to track dissidents; he advocated for US technology. For this, they are looking for partners. “America first does not mean America alone.” At the same time, Cairncross warned against excessive burdens in the cybersecurity sector for companies and held out the prospect of “active measures” in the event of major attacks.
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European Alternatives?
Despina Spanou, Deputy Head of DG CNECT (Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content, and Technology) at the European Commission, particularly championed Europe's sovereignty. Spanou pointed out that for Europe, it is about assessing and reducing risk. “Sovereignty excludes no one,” she assured. However, to reduce supply chain risks, a “de-risking” concept is needed, and “whoever wants to be in the supply chain in Europe should play by our business rules.”
Spanou referred to a longer list of recommendations from the EU Commission to minimize risks, including for 5G networks. Others, for example, on AI, will follow. The goal is to reduce critical dependencies. For this, investments are also being made in submarine cables as well as in the recently announced EU drone program.
Alternative from Europe
Rolf Schumann, Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital division of the German Schwarz Group, promised the Munich audience: “I am very confident regarding a completely European stack for quantum computing.”
His group has just entered the market as an alternative to the US and China stacks. Schumann countered the US representatives: “If we give our data to China, the state there gets it. If we give it to the USA, companies get it.” One should not be at the mercy of US tech corporations through US licenses, which he described as “legal ransomware.”
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