Siim Alatalu is the Director of EU CyberNet – the European Union Cyber Capacity Building Network project since 2019. EU CyberNet is a multi-year project launched and funded by the European Commission in 2019 and is implemented by the Estonian Information System Authority RIA, to establish a pan-European cyber security expert network for an enhanced EU external cyber capacity building capability.
Prior to joining RIA, Siim enjoyed an almost five-year tenure at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). As its Head of International Relations from 2015, his primary role was to lead its external relations with a growing network of partners from governments, military, academia and industry, being responsible inter alia for the Centre’s growth to an international organisation with 25 member countries (and several others in accession). In 2018 he joined the Centre’s Strategy Branch, being responsible for cyber strategy and policy research and training related to NATO and the European Union, inter alia as chair of the Programme Committee of CyCon 2019. In 2021 the CCDCOE recognised Siim with the title CCDCOE Ambassador, an honorary title awarded to a former staff member of the CCDCOE who continues an affiliation with the Centre and contributes to building new partnerships.
Between 2001 and 2014 Siim mainly worked for the Estonian Ministry of Defence (his most recent positions being the Deputy Director for policy planning (including leading the MOD’s cyber policy); and Deputy Director of NATO and European Union Department before that). In 2008 – 2011 he served as a diplomat at the Estonian Delegation to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. During the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2017, he also led the development of EU’s cyber policy and strategy, being the Vice Chair of the Council’s Horizontal Working Party for Cyber Issues (HWP).
Siim Alatalu is a graduate of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University (Master of Arts in International Relations in 2006, as a Fulbright fellow), as well as of the Baltic Defence College (Higher Command Studies Course 2011) and the University of Tartu (B.A. in history in 2001). He is committed to finalising his Ph.D. at the Tallinn University of Technology as soon as EU CyberNet is ready.