Japan to Join the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) welcomes the decision of Japan to join the NATO-accredited cyber defence hub in Tallinn, Estonia. This will further strengthen the knowledge base and reach of the currently 20-nation-strong Centre.

Shinzō Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, announced today during his visit to Estonia the decision of Japan to become a member of Tallinn-based cyber defence hub focusing on research, training and exercises.

“We welcome the decision of Japan to join CCDCOE as a Contributing Participant, membership status available to non-NATO nations. Japan is one of NATO’s key partners beyond the Euro-Atlantic area and a globally recognised technology and cybersecurity power. Joining the Centre will be a concrete step forward signalling the commitment in cyber defence cooperation between like-minded nations,” said Merle Maigre, Director of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.  

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) is a NATO-accredited cyber defence hub focusing on research, training and exercises. The international military organisation based in Estonia is a community of currently 20 nations providing a 360-degree look at cyber defence, with expertise in the areas of technology, strategy, operations and law.

NATO CCD COE is home of the Tallinn Manual 2.0, the most comprehensive guide on how International Law applies to cyber operations. The Centre also organises the world’s largest and most complex international live-fire cyber defence exercise Locked Shields. Another highlight of the Centre is the International Conference on Cyber Conflict, CyCon, a unique event joining key experts and decision-makers of the global cyber defence community in Tallinn every spring. The tenth anniversary event CyCon X: Maximising Effects will take place from 30 May to 1 June 2018.

The Centre is staffed and financed by its member nations. 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. In September 2017 Norway announced its plan to join the Centre as well.