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The security of products with digital elements takes centre stage

As the deadlines set out in the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) draw nearer, preparing digital products to meet cybersecurity requirements is becoming increasingly important. The regulation covers security issues at the design, development and maintenance stages of products with digital elements, and introduces obligations relating to, amongst other things, vulnerability management and the provision of security updates. Szymon Barszczewski from OSiC NASK spoke about the key assumptions of the CRA and the steps worth taking during the preparation process at the SoDA Brunch Łódź: NIS2 – Strategy. Responsibility. Resilience. The event took place on 12 October 2026.

The OSiC expert’s presentation – ‘CRA in 30 minutes’ – provided an opportunity to organise knowledge regarding the new requirements and the timetable for their implementation. Particular attention was paid to the practical aspects of preparing for compliance with the regulations and their impact on organisations developing and bringing to market products with digital elements.

Common rules for the European market

The significance of the CRA extends beyond individual technical or organisational requirements. The Regulation is intended to support the development of common cybersecurity standards for products with digital elements on the European Union market. For businesses, this means operating within a more predictable regulatory environment and the opportunity to develop processes and products based on uniform requirements applicable across the European market.

“Preparing for the CRA should be viewed not only as a regulatory obligation, but also as an element of building a competitive advantage. Compliance with the requirements can facilitate access to the entire European Union market and help build consumer trust“.

Szymon Barszczewski, Senior Cybersecurity Certification Specialist, OSiC NASK

Support for businesses preparing for the CRA

One of the topics discussed during the meeting was the support available to businesses developing products with digital elements. Participants were introduced to the SECURE project: Strengthening EU SMEs’ Cyber Resilience, which helps micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to build cybersecurity expertise and prepare for the CRA requirements.

Particular attention was paid to the second call for proposals under the project. The call remains open until 11 December 2026. Funding is intended for various purposes, including conducting gap analyses and organisational maturity assessments, preparing documentation, conducting security tests, undertaking vulnerability management activities, and implementing processes supporting compliance with the requirements of the Regulation.

The second call for proposals responds to the need for organisations to prepare for the new requirements well in advance. Building expertise, analysing processes and identifying areas requiring change are activities that should be planned well in advance. This enables businesses to gradually implement the necessary solutions and better prepare for compliance with the CRA regulations.

Further information can be found on the project’s website: secure4sme.eu and on the official LinkedIn profile: Secure4sme Project | LinkedIn.

Cyber resilience as an element of quality

Discussions held during the event showed that security is becoming one of the key elements of digital product quality. As the deadlines under the CRA draw nearer, the importance of systematically building up the expertise, processes and solutions that support cyber resilience is growing. For businesses, this presents an opportunity to organise their security-related activities and to further develop products that meet the expectations of the European market.