US Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL) visited the Tallinn-based NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) today. The congressman was welcomed and briefed by Col Jaak Tarien, director of the Centre. Among the topics discussed during the visit were cyberspace as a domain of warfare, elections security, cyber training exercises as well as the risks that come along with new technologies like 5G networks.
„The dynamic issue of cyber threats is never a matter purely for the technical experts. Raising awareness among and providing training to the executive level decision-makers in the military, government and academia helps our societies to be better prepared for cyber incidents,“said Col Tarien.
„Our strength in the cyber domain is in the partnerships we build. Nations are waking up to the need to do more to protect their critical networks. As more nations are developing and exercising a diverse array of cyber capabilities, we see a huge benefit in sharing information in regard to attack vectors, tools and methods among our member nations to enchance the vigilance and effectiveness of the response,“ stressed Col Tarien.
The CCDCOE is a NATO-accredited cyber defence hub focusing on research, training and exercises. The Estonian-based international military organisation, which also organises Locked Shields, the world’s largest and most complex international live-fire cyber defence exercise, is a community of currently 21 nations which provides a 360-degree look at cyber defence, with expertise in the areas of technology, strategy, operations and law. The CCDCOE hosts annually the International Conference on Cyber Conflict, a unique event bringing together key experts and decision-makers of the global cyber defence community. The CCDCOE is also the home of the Tallinn Manual 2.0, the most comprehensive guide on how international law applies to cyber operations.
The Centre is staffed and financed by its member states, which to date include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the UK, and the US.