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Bridging the security, privacy and data protection gap for smaller enterprises in Europe

Project description

Helping SMEs comply with personal data protection requirements

Millions of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Europe do not comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Unlike larger enterprises, SMEs are more likely to lack a clear roadmap to compliance. Many also cannot afford access to enterprise-grade cybersecurity technology. The EU-funded SENTINEL project will work to boost SME capabilities in this domain cost-effectively through innovation. It will integrate tried-and-tested modular cybersecurity technologies with fresh, ambitious ones, such as a novel identity management system for human-centric data portability. The aim will be to enable a unified European data space and an end-to-end digital personal data protection compliance self-assessment framework for SMEs.

Objective

Over 25 million European SMEs/MEs, central within EU enterprise policy, face multiple challenges related to personal data protection; ranging from awareness, to a clear and practical roadmap to compliance, the most prominent one is the fact that, unlike larger enterprises, SMEs/MEs lack access to enterprise-grade cybersecurity technology and capacity-building for compliance, making them increasingly often victims of costly data breaches. Although, according to studies, small and micro businesses declare openness to invest in regulatory compliance, including for consultants and technology, millions of European SMEs/MEs still fail to comply with GDPR while their managers are confused about basic data security concepts, like data stewardship, encryption and secure communication. This presents a clear gap between cybersecurity- and privacy-related spending and its actual effect in personal data protection compliance.
SENTINEL aspires to bridge this gap by boosting SMEs/MEs capabilities in this domain through innovation, at a cost-effective level. SENTINEL will integrate tried-and-tested modular cybersecurity technologies with fresh, ambitious ones, such as a novel Identity Management System for human-centric data portability, enabling a unified “European Data Space” and an end-to-end digital personal data protection compliance self-assessment framework for SMEs, into a unified digital architecture. The data from these modules will then undergo disruptive Intelligence for Compliance through SENTINEL’s digital core, featuring machine learning-powered recommendations, policy drafting & enforcement for compliance and a ‘one-stop-shop’ incident response centre. Combined with a well-researched methodology for application, an open knowledge sharing hub and a wide-reaching plan for experimentation, SENTINEL will catalyse adoption of market-leading security tech among SMEs/MEs and help safeguard their and their customers’ assets.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

IA - Innovation action

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-SU-DS-2018-2019-2020

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Coordinator

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR MARKET LEADERSHIP
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 555 349,50
Address
KATECHAKI 22
115 25 ATHINA
Greece

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Αττική Aττική Κεντρικός Τομέας Αθηνών
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 793 356,43

Participants (12)

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