MEPs will vote on new rules to ensure that companies in critical sectors such as energy and healthcare secure their IT infrastructures and fully report on attacks.

Cyber security: protecting crucial sectors from attacks

The Cyber Security Directive  is the latest component

in Europe's drive for digital supremacy.

For the first time, coordination  is being sought for essential services

such as air traffic control,  health and financial markets.

But to lead the world, first things first:  ironing out any chinks in your armour

that could leave your system  vulnerable to cyber attacks.

If there is a hacker out there  that tries to hack your hospital data,

this data should be protected in such a way

that there is no danger of it being displayed  anywhere other than is allowed.

Companies would need robust enough  systems to ward off online threats

and report any serious incidents  to a national authority.

But beyond the sectors  a country could deem as crucial to protect,

the likes of Google, Microsoft, and social  media sites would also fall within its ambit.

These internet giants and  network specialists are just asked

to inform public authorities  about structured attacks,

the information about cyber attacks  that they gather.

The days of the internet's Wild Wild West  could soon be coming to an end.