The European Union has always stated when it comes to Brexit: “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” Time is running out to come to agreement on a wide range of issues, including security and defense cooperation.

In my first report for Forrester — Brace Your Security Organization For Post-Brexit Challenges — I look at the challenges that will face security organizations as a result of the UK exiting the EU. Whether you believe Brexit is the best or worst thing to happen to the UK and the EU, there are going to be impacts for current security and defense cooperation that are going to change the way in which CISOs in Europe receive support from their national cybersecurity agency.

The report looks at the following points:

  • How Brexit will affect your security organization. The main impact on organizations will be in cyberthreat intelligence, law enforcement cooperation, and operational incident response. Interestingly, given the transnational nature of cyber and the current prevalence of terrorism and security issues across Europe, this area has not really featured in negotiations to date. As the UK’s Home Affairs Committee pointed out in March 2018, time is running out.
  • Enhancing the status quo rather than retrenchment. So far, what the EU has presented as possible cybersecurity and law enforcement cooperation options would weaken existing cooperation. In turn, the UK has not spelled out in detail what it wants from a security and defense partnership. I argue for a strengthening of the relationship given the extent of digital integration into all of our lives and the potential risks that it poses to consumers and businesses across Europe.
  • What you can do to make your organization resilient regardless of the negotiation outcome. While there are many aspects of Brexit that your company cannot control, I outline some simple, pragmatic steps that can help make your security organization resilient to the outcomes of negotiations.

Brexit is one of the most significant geopolitical shifts to affect the Europe in the last 40 years. I will continue to write about and research how this landmark change in European public policy for security and defense cooperation will affect organizations in Europe over the coming months.

Please read my newest report, Brace Your Security Organization For Post-Brexit Challenges.