LONDON (Sputnik) — An EU source has confirmed recent media reports to Sputnik that EU member states have finalized guidelines on the EU cybersecurity policy, adding that and no countries have been classified as "possible threat-actors."
"The guidelines have in fact been finalized and agreed by EU member states. The document does not list any country as possible threat-actors. The document is not public," the source told Sputnik.
According to the source, the guidelines were the "follow-up to the Council [of the European Union] conclusions" adopted in June.
Earlier in the day, Spokeswoman for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic has refused to comment to Sputnik on a leaked draft document prepared in Brussels allegedly outlining EU governments' intention of classifying cyberattacks as an act of war, but reaffirmed the bloc's commitment to settling international disputes in cyberspace by peaceful means and simultaneous readiness to issue a "proportionate" response.
On Monday, a source in the UK Foreign Office declined Sputnik's request to comment on the document as well.
The report comes amid the NATO statement, in which the bloc said that a cyberattack on a member state may prompt retaliation on the part of the alliance. Most, but not all, EU member states are also NATO members. In recent months, such NATO states as the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany have expressed concern over alleged cyberattacks initiated by state actors.
Moreover, last week, European companies, including Russian ones, fell under a ransomware attack entitled BadRabbit, which was the third major ransomware attack this year, following WannaCry and Petya.
