A European industry group proposed cybersecurity policy recommendations for the European Union during the International Cybersecurity Forum.

The European Cybersecurity Industry Leaders, or ECIL, is comprised of a number of cybersecurity and defense contractors, including Thales Group, Atos, Airbus Group, Deutsche Tekekom, Ericcson, Infineon and others. The group was created to draft a report to the European Commission recommending increased consolidation and integration of the union's cybersecurity assets.

The ECIL's recommendations include the establishment of voluntary certification processes for manufacturers, solutions and services, allowing corporations and consumers to identify secure providers.

Additionally, the report recommends a level international playing field for cybersecurity and privacy standards, with all Information & Communication Technology players adhering to equal data confidentiality and security requirements, with the goal of achieving a secure European Digital Single Market.

Other recommendations include the creation of a Europe-wide Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to encourage security information exchanges between European Union member states, the implementation of data encryption solutions, and the adoption of a "Secure-by-design" approach to make cybersecurity integration a mandatory requirement for information systems.

The ECIL also recommends establishing "cybersecurity leaders" by allowing market consolidation that allows competitive companies to scale up faster.