A Perspective from the Frontlines
By Dennis Monner, CEO, Open Systems

Europe is undergoing the most significant cybersecurity shift in a generation. New regulations, rising threat levels, geopolitical tensions, and the urgent need for digital sovereignty are forcing enterprises to rethink which security partners they trust – and why.

In this landscape, being a “leading cybersecurity company” requires more than size or Silicon-Valley marketing: Europe needs providers that stand for strength, sovereignty, and uncompromising integrity.

And the reality is simple: Europe deserves a real alternative to the dominant American, Israeli, and Chinese players – and we are one of the few who can deliver exactly that.

Here’s what defines true European leadership in cybersecurity today.

  1. You build strength where trust is earned, not outsourced.

Europe doesn’t operate on blind trust. It operates on verifiable trust. A leading European cybersecurity company builds its core capabilities in Europe, under European jurisdiction, and with full transparency.

Not because it’s fashionable – but because:

  • European enterprises demand accountable partners
  • Trust requires proximity
  • Black-box security is no longer acceptable
  • Backdoors – political or commercial – are a non-starter

This is why our platform is engineered and operated in Europe, with Swiss precision and zero ambiguity about ownership or control. And the biggest organizations we serve – some with 60,000+ employees globally – tell us they feel the difference immediately.

  1. You offer sovereignty, not dependency.

Most global vendors want to lock enterprises into their ecosystems. Europe cannot afford that.

True leadership means giving customers freedom, not dependency:

  • Open architectures
  • Interoperable systems
  • Transparent operations
  • No “just trust our black magic” messaging

Sovereignty is not a political slogan. It’s a business necessity.
It ensures enterprises remain secure, compliant, and in control, even as regulations and threats evolve.

  1. You master regulation, instead of fearing it.

NIS2. DORA. GDPR. CRA. More is coming. Much more. A European leader doesn’t wait for regulation to force change — it shapes its roadmap proactively to exceed those standards.

Our approach is simple: Turn regulatory pressure into competitive advantage for customers. Reduce complexity instead of adding it. Make compliance a differentiator, not a burden.

This is where global vendors struggle, and where European engineering excels.

  1. You deliver security the European way: Bold, precise, uncompromising.

Europe and especially Switzerland does not reward noise or theatrics. It rewards:

  • Precision
  • Reliability
  • Measurable quality
  • Engineering-first execution
  • Transparency that stands up to scrutiny

Security is not performance art. It’s discipline. And that discipline is what separates European providers from the storytelling machines overseas.

  1. You go beyond defense, you empower.

The strongest cybersecurity companies in Europe don’t just protect. They enable:

  • They simplify the complex
  • They support Zero Trust journeys end-to-end
  • They help enterprises modernize safely
  • They provide clarity in moments of uncertainty

Protection is baseline. Empowerment is leadership.

Why this matters now

82% of European IT leaders say regulation directly shapes their strategy. Enterprises are redefining who they trust and why. Europe needs cybersecurity partners that reflect European values:

  • Engineered with precision
  • Operated transparently
  • Built for sovereignty
  • Designed for compliance
  • Delivered with responsibility

And with the scale to matter. Open Systems is already a USD 100M+ company securing global enterprises across five continents. Europe doesn’t need to catch up. Europe needs to lead differently.

And if you ask me…

A leading cybersecurity company in Europe is defined by attitude:

  • Build boldly
  • Operate transparently
  • Compete confidently against the U.S., Israel, and China
  • Earn trust every single day
  • Never compromise on quality – ever

This is the European model. And this is the standard we live by.