Thought Leadership
The European Commission is launching a secure AI testing platform designed to help protect Europe’s critical infrastructure from AI-powered cyberattacks.
The European Commission has unveiled a new action plan focused on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. At the heart of the initiative is the creation of a secure testing platform, developed in partnership with the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). Scheduled to become operational by the end of 2026, the platform will enable AI models to be evaluated in simulated environments for potential security risks.
The initiative targets critical sectors including finance, energy, healthcare, transportation, and public administration. Its goal is to identify technical vulnerabilities in hospitals, banks, and power grids before malicious actors can exploit them.
Strengthening Technological Sovereignty Against Automated Cyberattacks
According to the Commission, the action plan is a response to the rapidly evolving threat landscape driven by increasingly sophisticated AI systems. Artificial intelligence is accelerating the discovery of software vulnerabilities while enabling attackers to automate cyberattacks on a much larger scale.
Because most of today’s leading AI models are developed by U.S. technology companies, the European Union aims to reduce its dependence on foreign AI capabilities. The strategy includes expanding sovereign European AI infrastructure and building manufacturing facilities for next-generation AI chips.
Henna Virkkunen, European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said in an official statement:
“AI is changing the meaning of cybersecurity. And we need to keep pace. The EU has strong foundations to adapt its response to the vulnerabilities introduced by emerging technologies. We must leverage and combine our existing capabilities, networks, and legal framework to strengthen cybersecurity and better protect our digital landscape.”
Henna Virkkunen, European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
Connecting Research and Industry Through Innovation Challenges
Another key element of the program is the launch of the EU Grand Challenge on AI for Cybersecurity, a Europe-wide innovation competition designed to bring together cybersecurity companies, academic researchers, and organizations to develop AI-powered cyber defense technologies.
At the same time, the Commission is encouraging organizations to adopt existing AI tools and open-source models to improve vulnerability management and accelerate incident response.
These initiatives will be supported by the rigorous implementation of existing legislation, including the NIS2 Directive, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and the Cyber Resilience Act. In addition, the Commission plans to launch a dedicated campaign to strengthen the security of critical open-source software, further improving the long-term resilience of Europe’s digital infrastructure.
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