After decades of apparently low-intensity cyberattacks, during which security was not really thought of in most information technology (IT) systems, recent years, including those marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought a flurry of well-organized, larger-scale attacks that have caused billions of euros of damage. Such attacks have been made possible by the plethora of IT systems that have been produced with no or low security, a trend that has further increased with the rise of ubiquitous computing, with smartphones, the internet of things (IoT) and smart-* spreading everywhere with extremely low control. However, although the current situation in IT systems can still be considered as critical and very much working in favour of cyber attackers, there are paths to massive but achievable technical improvements that can lead us to a much more secure and sovereign IT ecosystem, along with strong business opportunities in Europe. Furthermore, when it comes to cyberwarfare, improved cybersecurity is now the first line of defence, as the conflict in Ukraine has shown.