Governance, data security and public service delivery in Romania: a policy oriented approach

The digital transformation of public administration is one of the most significant modernization processes in the public sector in recent years. In addition to the benefits it brings, digitization entails a significant responsibility regarding the collection, processing, and storage of an ever-increasing volume of data. The main aim of our paper is to analyze the current state of data security in Romania's public administration, given the complexity of threats to institutional data security and to identify challenges regarding information security, data protection, and cyber risk management. The theoretical foundation of this paper is based on the analysis of several relevant studies from the period 2020 - 2025 that compare the level of cybersecurity at the European level. The research methodology used is empirical, analyzing the harmonization of EU legislation on digitization and data security with Romanian legislation. The results show a sharp increase in cyberattacks. Romania currently has a relatively comprehensive legislative framework regarding digitization, cybersecurity, and data protection, but faces a significant gap between formal legislative compliance and the actual operational capacity for data protection and incident response. The main contribution of this paper lies in providing an updated synthesis of the policy measures adopted, the realities on the ground, and the proposal of recommendations specific to the current Romanian context. Data security in public administration is the first and foremost a matter of political will.