Weekly Cybersecurity Digest [January, Week 5]
Posted on February 3, 2026
Dear Valued Clients,
As January draws to a close, Europe’s cybersecurity landscape shows no sign of stabilising. From nation-state attribution and Olympic-scale cyber defence to post-quantum readiness and regulatory consolidation, the final week of the month reinforces how tightly cyber risk, geopolitics, and operational resilience are now intertwined.
At Make Sense, we track these shifts to help organisations move beyond awareness to execution, translating intelligence, policy, and market signals into measurable, defensible cyber resilience across Europe’s most critical digital ecosystems.
✅ Top Stories of the Week
i. Italy Intensifies Olympic Cyber Defences Ahead of Milano-Cortina 2026
Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency has ramped up protections for the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, creating a dedicated cyber command to monitor dark-web chatter, deter AI-enhanced attacks and guard ticketing, streaming and venue systems. The proactive posture, coordinated with organisers and private partners, reflects Europe’s focus on securing major events from disruptive cyber operations. [Read more via Reuters]
Reflect: How resilient are your organisation’s high-visibility digital services, such as public portals, events, or customer platforms, against coordinated disruption or reputational attacks?
ii. Poland Publicly Attributes the December Infrastructure Attacks to the Russian Service
Polish authorities have attributed the 29 December destructive intrusions against energy and heating facilities to the FSB, citing forensic links to nation-state tooling. The announcement (30 January) heightens the urgency in central and eastern Europe for grid hardening, cross-border intelligence sharing, and contingency planning, as geopolitical tensions drive more disruptive cyber operations. [Read more via Reuters]
iii. Post-Quantum Cybersecurity Showcased at Tech&Fest 2026 in Grenoble
At Tech&Fest 2026 in Grenoble, European supplier SEALSQ Corp showcased post-quantum cryptography and secure semiconductor solutions, reflecting growing European interest in quantum-safe security. The event highlighted efforts to build sovereign technology ecosystems and drive adoption of next-generation cryptography standards, a key strategic capability as cyber threats and quantum computing risks evolve. [Read more via quantumzeitgeist.com]
✅ Industry Trends & Insights
European Cybersecurity Market Set for Double-digit Growth Through 2033
The European cybersecurity market generated around USD 72 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at an 11% CAGR through 2033, driven by demand for advanced hardware, services, and cloud security solutions. Services and infrastructure protection segments lead investment, with enterprises boosting IAM and IDS/IPS deployment amid rising digital transformation and threat pressure. [Read more via Grand View Research]
Europe Faces Growing Demand for Cybersecurity Talent in 2026
Organisations across Europe are experiencing an accelerated hiring demand for cybersecurity professionals in 2026, driven by increasing digital services, regulatory compliance (such as NIS2 and GDPR) and evolving cyber threats. Countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and other EU members report talent shortages, particularly in cloud security, incident response, and identity and access management roles, signalling critical workforce gaps across the region. [Read more via Cyber Security District]
Consider: Which cybersecurity functions in your organisation would be most vulnerable to skill shortages during a sustained incident?
Europe’s Cybersecurity Market Sees Growth Driven by Southern & Eastern Europe
Europe’s cybersecurity market grew 5.2 % year-on-year in 2025, with Southern and Eastern European markets, including Italy and Poland, driving demand for security products and services. Expansion offsets slower growth in larger Western markets, reflecting diverse regional investment patterns and rising enterprise cybersecurity spending across the continent. [Read more via IT Brief UK]
✅ Regulatory & Policy Updates
EU and Japan Hold Seventh Cyber Dialogue to Deepen Cooperation
The European Union and Japan convened their 7th Cyber Dialogue in Brussels on 28 January, strengthening information sharing, joint exercises, and incident-response norms. The talks prioritised supply-chain assurance, capacity building, and cooperation on cybercrime and state-linked threats, signalling tighter trans-regional alignment on resilience and deterrence.[Read more via European Commission]
EU Digital Networks Act Proposal Advances Harmonised Digital Rules
The European Commission’s proposal for the Digital Networks Act (DNA), published earlier in January 2026, gained momentum with legal drafting and stakeholder consultations through early February. The DNA aims to consolidate and modernise EU connectivity law, strengthen digital resilience, streamline telecom-related regulations and bolster cross-border network security oversight, part of a broader digital regulatory overhaul. [Read more via cms-lawnow.com]
EU Proposes Centralised Incident Reporting Single Entry Point (SEP)
The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposal introduces a centralised Single Entry Point (SEP) for cybersecurity incident reporting across overlapping EU regulations (e.g., NIS2, GDPR, DORA, Cyber Resilience Act). Organisations can submit a single report that satisfies multiple frameworks, reducing compliance complexity and boosting coordinated oversight. This regulatory move seeks to streamline EU cybersecurity governance and strengthen cross-border enforcement. [Read more via Taylor Wessing]
Note: Assess whether your incident-response processes are ready to support harmonised, multi-regulator reporting without delaying containment actions.
✅ Cyber IQ Challenge + Proactive Security Hacks
Quick Quiz:
What is the most critical factor in protecting major public events from cyber disruption?
A) Advanced perimeter firewalls
B) Dark-web monitoring alone
C) Integrated public–private coordination
D) Temporary infrastructure isolation
Smart Security Moves of the Week:
- Event readiness: Simulate cyber incidents tied to reputational and physical disruption.
- Infrastructure defence: Prioritise resilience testing for energy and heating systems.
- Future-proofing: Begin inventorying cryptographic assets for post-quantum risk.
- Compliance efficiency: Align incident workflows to support EU-wide reporting convergence.
Answer: C) Integrated public–private coordination.
✅ Conclusion
From Olympic-scale cyber defences and explicit state attribution to market expansion and regulatory consolidation, the final week of January illustrates how Europe’s cyber posture is maturing under pressure. Resilience now depends on coordination across borders, readiness for high-impact events, and the ability to translate policy into operational capability.
Final reflection: If your organisation faced simultaneous regulatory scrutiny and a state-linked disruption, how quickly could you respond – technically, legally, and reputationally?
At Make Sense, we turn intelligence into measurable defence – strengthening incident readiness, regulatory alignment, and long-term resilience across Europe’s evolving digital landscape.
Stay secure,
The Make Sense SRL Team & CyberTania
