UK provides largest new intake of security boffins for ENISA

ENISA chooses

The European Information and Security Agency (ENISA) has announced the new intake of 30 top security advisors to the Permanent Stakeholders’ Group (PSG), with seven UK boffins chosen as part of the new intake.

The PSG’s mission statement as on its website said: “we will give advice to the Agency Executive Director, by, for example, drawing up a proposal for the Agency's Work Programme.”

The selected applicants are appointed ad personam as PSG Members, said ENISA, in that they "neither represent a country, nor a company, but are selected upon the basis of expertise and personal merits" according to the statement.

ENISA executive director Dr. Udo Helmbrecht explained he was convinced of the need for more European cooperation and dialogue with all security stakeholders.

“I am confident the expertise, insight and broad experience the members will bring to the PSG will be beneficial to the Agency,” said Helmbrecht, adding that he would, “carefully consider their advice before taking strategic decisions.”

An ENISA spokesman said: "Helmbrecht selects a mixed composition of key security actors from academia, industry and users. This way, we obtain a good balance and overview from all key stakeholders and different sectors.”

PSG members often engage in ad hoc working groups on particular topics, write in ENISA’s Quarterly Review, or speak 'on behalf' of ENISA.

Of the 30 new PSG members UK, German, Dutch, and Italian security experts comprise over half of the appointments.

Of the UK PSG members, the largest grouping is from industry with four members. Two are from academia, with the final one representing users.

BT’s CSO Peter Hoath, Cisco senior security advisor Paul King, Nominet’s se nior policy advisor Martin Boyle, and independent consultant Nick Coleman will be the industry champions.

Representing the ivory towers of academia are IT and maths Professor Fred Piper from the Royal Holloway College, University of London, and Orange Labs’ senior cryptographic expert Dr. Matthew Robshaw.

Representing the users is Joint Academic NET’s (JANET) chief regulatory advisor Andrew Cormack.

Andrew Cormack, Nick Coleman and Paul King are former members of the PSG, and have been re-elected.

The term of office for members is from two to five, with the first meeting of the newly formed PSG taking place on 24 March in Athens.