About French Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI)
French Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) was created by Decree No. 2009-834 of 7 July 2009 (Official Journal of 8 July 2009), as a national authority.
Forerunners and governance
ANSSI replaced the Central Directorate for Network and Information Security (DCSSI) of the Secretariat General for National Defence (secrétariat général de la défense nationale – SGDN) while reinforcing its competences, staff and resources.
As the national authority for cyberdefence and network and information security (NIS), ANSSI is a reservoir of skills which imparts its expertise and assists government departments and operators of vital importance.
It is tasked with the promotion of French technologies, systems and know-how. It plays a role in building trust in the digital sphere.
The government transmission centre, under the authority of the SGDSN, assists ANSSI through the implementation of the secure command and liaison apparatus required by the President of the Republic and the Government.
In accordance with the proposals of the 2013 White Paper on Defence and National Security, ANSSI plays a role in steering French and European cybersecurity research.
Where needed, ANSSI draws upon the expertise of a strategic committee composed of senior government officials. The task of this committee is to advance proposals for State strategy in this field. Its Director General is Vincent Strubel.
Development
The Military Programming Law adopted on 19 December 2013 stepped up ANSSI’s functions. Article 22 of the law provided for the adoption of measures to increase the security of operators of vital importance, granting new prerogatives to ANSSI on behalf of the Prime Minister that enable it to enforce security and control measures for the most critical network and information systems of operators of vital importance. Furthermore, Article 22 makes it mandatory for operators of vital importance to report incidents detected on these systems.