NATO opens new cyber defence centre of excellence

Seven NATO nations and the Allied Command Transformation have agreed to establish a Cooperative Cyber Defence (CCD) Centre of Excellence (COE) in Tallin, Estonia.

The centre will conduct research and training on cyber warfare and include a staff of 30 persons, half of them specialists from the sponsoring countries, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Spain.

“The need for a cyber defence centre to be opened today is compelling,” said General James Mattis, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, at the signing ceremony, “it will help NATO defy and successfully counter the threats in this area.”

The agreement comes a year after a major cyber attack on Estonian public and private institutions prompted NATO to conduct a thorough assessment of its approach to cyber defence. At their meeting in October 2007 Allied Defence Ministers called for the development of a NATO cyber defence policy which was adopted early 2008.

In April, the Bucharest Summit Declaration paved the way for the establishment of the Estonian COE, emphasizing the need for NATO members to protect key information systems and develop the ability to counter a cyber attack.

•Date: 15th May 2008• Region: W.Europe •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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