NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence based in Estonia, celebrated today the accession of two new members – Belgium and Sweden. According to Mr. Sven Sakkov, the Director of NATO CCD COE, the joining of Bulgaria and Portugal with the community of nations at the Centre has also been initiated.
„International cooperation of like-minded nations in cyber defence is becoming inevitable. We are witnessing a growing interest towards our applied research, trainings and exercises, but the preparedness of nations to contribute themselves reflects more than just recognition to the work that has been done. It proves that we offer needed support for member nations and the international community in building their cyber defence” said Sven Sakkov, director of the multinational and interdisciplinary hub of cyber defence expertise.
Accesion of Belgium and Sweden was celebrated today with a flag-raising ceremony at the NATO CCD COE based in Estonia. In addition to the delegations from Belgium and Sweden, the occasion was witnessed by the delegation of Cyber Commands from 16 nations.
This week NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence International Conference also organises the International Conference on Cyber Conflict, CyCon 2017, in Tallinn. This event joins key experts and decision-makers of the global cyber defence community every year.
Founded in 2008 NATO CCD COE is a NATO-accredited international military organisation supporting its member nations and NATO with cyber defence expertise in the fields of technology, strategy, operations, and law. The heart of the Centre is a diverse group of experts: researchers, analysts, trainers, educators. The mix of military, government and industry backgrounds means the provides a unique 360-degree approach to cyber defence.
NATO CCD COE is the home of the Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations. The Centre also organises the world’s largest and most complex international technical cyber defence exercise Locked Shields.
The Centre is staffed and financed by its sponsoring nations and contributing participants. Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States are signed on as Sponsoring Nations of NATO CCD COE. Austria, Finland and Sweden have become Contributing Participants, a status eligible for non-NATO nations.
Photos by the Estonian Defence Forces of the ceremony can be found here: http://pildid.mil.ee/index.php?/category/58165