The Interdependence of Things

Digital products are the result of co-operation between countless actors. They rely on physical and digital components, such as sensors, chips, and cloud services. The interdependence between all these actors and components is giving rise to new types of cybersecurity threats. The Snowden revelations already showed that the NSA, a US intelligence agency, created virtual ‘backdoors’ in some products before shipping them to the customers. In essence, modern cybersecurity threats are similar to the Trojan horse: they lie hidden beneath layers of components that are largely unknown to the average consumer. The European legislators are trying to improve the cybersecurity of digital products with recent legislation. This thesis holds, however, that European cybersecurity law does not sufficiently tackle the risks of the interdependence of digital products. The law holds a monolithic view of digital products; each product is regulated as an individual entity. Instead, this thesis argues, digital products are ecosystems. The legislators must therefore re-consider European cybersecurity policies in light of this shift. A novel, ecosystem approach may truly prevent the modern Trojan horse.