The Annual Conference for NATO Cyberspace Operations Education and Training (E&T) organized by NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) was opened today in Tallinn, Estonia. The conference brings together more than 40 experts from various NATO Commands, NATO Education and Training Facilities, national education institutions, cyber commands and other partner institutions to discuss current requirements and needs for cyberspace training and education for the whole of NATO.
“The greatest challenge in cybersecurity is the human factor, and the only way to tackle this problem is by training and education. As the Department Head for Cyberspace Operations in NATO, we are glad to welcome the high-level group of cyber training experts in Tallinn. Our mission is to ensure the availability of necessary training opportunities across the alliance,” said in his opening remarks Colonel Jaak Tarien, Director of the NATO CCDCOE.
“It is through co-operation that the most efficient, effective and affordable training solutions for NATO are developed. We are here to formulate long-term directions for cyberspace education and training, “ said Pilleriin Lillemets, the Department Head Project Lead for Cyberspace Operations Discipline in the NATO CCDCOE, “NATO has established cyberspace as a domain of operations and we need to pull our forces to provide the relevant training solutions in order to fill the gaps in cyber related capabilities.”
The annual cyber education and training conference offers a unique opportunity for the different stakeholders of cyber education and training in NATO to address the most pressing issues in the enhancement of NATO´s cyber defence capability. The meeting serves as the link between the NATO and national cyber education discussions, providing common understanding on the future direction of cyberspace operations E&T from national to NATO levels.
The CCDCOE is the organizer of the Annual Discipline Conference as the Department Head for Cyberspace Operations E&T in NATO. In 2018, the Centre was assigned by NATO Allied Command of Transformation the responsibility to coordinate NATO´s education and training in the field of cyber. As such, the CCDCOE translates NATO’s training requirements for Cyberspace Operations into E&T solutions and coordinates all efforts to overcome identified gaps in individual and collective training issues.