Whalebone, a leading European cybersecurity vendor and the European Commission-appointed Consortium Leader of the European Union’s DNS4EU program, announces significant progress in advancing European cybersecurity and digital sovereignty during 2024 and large-scale adoption plans with the EU’s first official public DNS resolver set to roll out in 2025.
“As the DNS4EU program progresses into its next phase toward large-scale adoption, Whalebone continues to build robust DNS infrastructure across the EU, collaborating with stakeholders to enhance cybersecurity of European critical infrastructure at scale,” said Magdalena Krucka, DNS4EU Communications Manager.
DNS4EU Program: Building a Secure and Sovereign European Internet
DNS4EU is an EU-backed initiative aimed at building a robust, privacy-compliant, and secure DNS resolution service. Designed to enhance the EU’s cybersecurity posture and digital sovereignty, DNS4EU prioritizes protection against cyber threats, privacy for end-users, and support for critical infrastructure.
Initiated by the European Commission and supported by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the program focuses on four primary pillars: government and public institutions, communications service providers (CSPs), threat intelligence exchange, and a providing a public resolver for end users.
The project is carried out by 13 partners from 10 European countries: CZ.NIC (CZ), CVUT (CZ), DNSC (RO), NASK (PL), HUN-REN(HU), ABILAB (IT), DESEC (DE), TIME.LEX (BE), CESNET (CZ), F-SECURE (FI), Centro Nacional de Ciberseguranca (PT), the Ministry of Electronic Governance (BG), and Whalebone (CZ), the Consortium Leader.
Key Highlights from 2024
- Seven institutions have now tested DNS4EU functionality across Europe – Notably, the DNS4EU Consortium has successfully connected 10 institutions with the program’s Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), with more than 20 others currently in discussion. The consortium’s DNS4EU Stakeholder Group has grown to over 500 active members, representing government, academia, and private industry.
- First Stakeholder Conference Saw 100 Participants – In October 2024, the inaugural DNS4EU Stakeholder Conference brought together around 100 cybersecurity professionals representing governments and critical infrastructure providers. The event emphasized collaboration, knowledge exchange, and insights into European DNS resilience. Recording available here.
- Proof of Concept (PoC) Insights – Testing and analysis have provided key findings about regionally emerging threats (e.g. trends discovered with phishing and malware attacks) that enabled faster response for all parties in protecting against the attacks.
- Raising Awareness Across Europe – Whalebone experts actively promoted DNS4EU’s mission at key cybersecurity events, including the ENISA Threat Intelligence Conference, DNS-OARC, RIPE89, Nordic Domain Days, and others. These engagements reinforced the EU’s commitment to a secure and sovereign digital infrastructure.
“Cooperating with EU CERTs and CSIRTs has provided critical early insights into emerging regional cyber threats,” said Viliam Peli, Whalebone Threat Intelligence Analyst. “The data gathered has shown us the evolving tactics of cybercriminals and the importance of DNS4EU in mitigating these risks.”
These early efforts have helped scale engagement, with nearly half of EU member states already involved in onboarding discussions or testing phases.
Timeline for First Official Public DNS Resolver to Meet EU Privacy Standards
Beginning in 2025, the focus shifts decisively toward large-scale adoption of the safeguards being provided:
- Public Resolver Launch – DNS4EU public resolvers will be officially introduced to support secure and privacy-focused DNS resolution across the EU.
- Resolver Innovations – New features and capabilities are in development to enhance the functionality and scalability of the DNS4EU solution.
- Second Stakeholder Conference – Plans are underway to convene the next iteration of the DNS4EU Stakeholder Conference, further strengthening collaboration among key partners.
“We’ve worked diligently with government agencies to ensure that each institution sees the value of DNS4EU in enhancing their digital security posture,” said George Buhai, Whalebone’s DNS4EU Government Liaison. “With over 500 members in our stakeholder group, this initiative is clearly resonating with European institutions overseeing cybersecurity for critical infrastructure.”
Stakeholders Drive European Cybersecurity and Digital Sovereignty
The DNS4EU initiative is a critical part of the European Union’s strategy to create a secure, resilient, and independent DNS infrastructure. With the ongoing support of stakeholders and continued collaboration across the cybersecurity ecosystem, Whalebone and the DNS4EU Consortium are committed to delivering on this ambitious vision.
“We’re proud of the progress that the DNS4EU Consortium made in 2024. It was a year of collaboration and learning, and our outreach and events have underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation for cybersecurity,” added Ms. Krucka. “The momentum we’ve built with our partners and stakeholders has positioned DNS4EU for the next phase of large-scale adoption for European cybersecurity and sovereignty.”
Be part of shaping Europe’s secure digital future. Join the DNS4EU Stakeholder group today to collaborate with industry leaders, stay ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats, and contribute to building a resilient and sovereign DNS infrastructure. Visit: www.joindns4.eu
Whalebone develops user-centric cybersecurity products for telcos, ISPs, enterprises, government and public institutions. It provides millions of internet users with seamless digital life protection, keeping them safe from malware, phishing schemes, ransomware, and other malicious digital attacks – without the need to download anything. The company has repeatedly enabled Tier 1 telcos to effectively protect their customers while significantly raising their revenue. Deloitte ranks Whalebone in its Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe 2024 report, and the Financial Times’ Sifted Leaderboard 2024 of the fastest-growing companies in Central Europe lists Whalebone at number 20. With a mission to bring cybersecurity to 1 billion people, Whalebone has over 100 team members and more than 400 customers around the globe.