Half of French companies has experienced at least one cyber-attack in 2021. That’s what reveals the CESIN, the French Club of Experts in Information and Digital Security, in the last edition of its annual barometer of cybersecurity in companies. And just as in 2020, half of the French companies surveyed says they are worried about their ability to cope with cyber risks. Facing these increasing risks and worries, Bpifrance wants to raise awareness, to provide the best tools to companies in order to help them prepare for cyber-attacks, and to support companies offering cybersecurity solutions. These ambitions follow the national cyber strategy launched by the French government in February 2021, as a part of the France 2030 investment plan. With over €1 billion made available, this plan should triple the turnover of the cyber sector and create 37,000 jobs by 2025.

Building a strong ecosystem of French cybersecurity solutions’ providers

This last sector, which revenues represent 7.3 billion in 2020 and keeps increasing by 10% each year, includes 150 specialized startups in France. However, a Bpifrance Le Hub and Wavestone’s study shows how this ecosystem is fragmented and how a lot of these startups struggle to grow. “We are convinced that a trusted digital society, a guarantee of competitiveness and sovereignty, requires the creation of a powerful French cyber security ecosystem,” said Paul-François Fournier, Executive Director in charge of Innovation at Bpifrance. Therefore the French government and Bpifrance have made cybersecurity as one of its top priorities. Their ambition consists in encouraging the emergence of solutions and to make them grow internationally. Cybersecurity representing more and more a crucial issue for companies’ competitiveness and sustainability, the French government hopes to spread a cybersecurity culture among companies and, in the long-term, to contribute to the structuring of an ecosystem of cyber solution providers. On these foundations, the Campus Cyber and Bpifrance have started to collaborate.

Campus Cyber to gather the cybersecurity sector’s stakeholders

Launched in early 2022 at the initiative of the French President Emmanuel Macron, the Campus Cyber aims at gathering the ecosystem of national and international actors involved in cybersecurity. Companies, labs and research centers, government services, training organizations, … It now includes more than 180 actors of the sector. Behind this ecosystem closely linked with the Deeptech plan, Campus Cyber aims at developing new and long-lasting entrepreneurial projects to highlight the French scientific, technical, and industrial excellence of the sector. Besides, the project has recently joined forces with Bpifrance to facilitate bridges between the research world and large groups. “Bpifrance’s commitment at our side is essential to accelerate and implement innovative projects of common interest resulting from the synergies of the ecosystem involved in the Cyber Campus. Together, we will build a great cybersecurity nation,” said Michel Van Den Berghe, president of Campus Cyber. Bpifrance will also offer its panel of products to support the development, growth and internationalization of companies involved in protecting companies against cyber-attacks. Side-to-side with Campus Cyber, Bpifrance thus wants to promote its financing and investment mechanisms well-known to French companies in the cyber sector. An objective that comes in-line with the government Cybersecurity plan and all the solutions it offers.

Dedicated platform, label, audit and consulting: Bpifrance’s solutions to prevent cybercrime

Long before the national cyber strategy, the French government launched the national victim assistance and digital risk prevention scheme in 2017: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr. The service shew itself helpful for either individuals or organization, including companies: in 2020, it was used by 10,000 of them after being victims of cyberattacks. Along with Bpifrance, the platform has developed a guide to give simple advice and not too expensive ways for companies to protect themselves against cyber risks. The ExpertCyber label, also launched by Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr in 2021, honors digital security professionals that have shown transparency and offer a given level of technical expertise to support their clients in securing their information systems and resolving their security incidents. As the one-stop shop for entrepreneurs, Bpifrance has contributed in many different ways to support companies and build a stronger cybersecurity. Among them:

• An online self-diagnosis platform called “Autodiag Cybersécurité Bpifrance” to help companies evaluate their maturity on cybersecurity matters.
• A 10-day consulting module to estimate company’s situation, establish a security plan and to raise awareness among employees.
• Side-to-side with the Direction générale de l’armement (the French government defence procurement and technology agency), Bpifrance has developed a tailor-made program, including an audit and risk analysis followed by an assistance for the implementation of a remediation plan, with the help of a cybersecurity expert. Bpifrance participate to the financing of this program called “Diagnostic Cyber Défense” (Cyberdefense Diagnosis), which is especially made for companies in the defense sector.