Excerpt from Times of India Article, Published on January 8, 2026
Belgium’s top cybersecurity official has sounded a serious alarm that Europe faces an enormous security problem rooted in its heavy reliance on American – based tech infrastructure. According to Miguel De Bruycker, director of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB), the continent’s digital ecosystem has become deeply dependent on U.S. cloud services and platforms, leaving core systems strategically vulnerable.
In a recent interview, De Bruycker highlighted how this reliance has made it difficult, if not impossible, for European nations to fully control where their data resides or how it is protected. He warned that many of the technologies crucial to defending national digital borders — such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence — are largely developed and controlled outside Europe, mainly in the United States.
Cybersecurity leaders in Belgium are urging policymakers in the European Union to take immediate steps toward bolstering regional digital sovereignty. This includes investing in homegrown infrastructure, expanding collaboration among member states, and drafting regulations that encourage scaling of European tech alternatives. Critics argue that current EU tech laws such as the AI Act may unintentionally slow innovation, making it harder for local firms to compete with global giants.
The warning from Belgium comes amid an increasing number of cyberattacks targeting the region, including distributed denial – of – service (DDoS) campaigns and other intrusions reportedly tied to foreign actors. De Bruycker stressed that while cooperation with American tech companies will remain important, Europe must balance external partnerships with stronger control over its digital destiny.
To support this shift, experts suggest wide – ranging investments — similar to the collaborative European initiatives seen in aerospace — that would unite EU nations behind shared digital infrastructure goals, reducing risk and reinforcing resilience against future cyber threats.
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