NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE)

🌐 This week, our team is excited to be participating in the Singapore International Cyber Week! We’re excited to engage in discussions about cyberspace and international law. On 15th October, Dr. Agnes Kasper moderated a panel discussion on “National Positions on International Law in Cyberspace: Challenges, Opportunities, and Best Practices.” We explored how nations can navigate the evolving legal landscape of the digital age. We’re also proud to co-organize the Asia-Pacific Roundtable on “Developing National Positions on International Law in Cyberspace,” alongside our esteemed partners: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, NUS Centre for International Law, University of Exeter and TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology #sicw2024

This week, we had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Oh-Joon Yoon, Deputy Minister of the National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea, to discuss future cooperation in support of the cyber defense exercise APEX (Allied Power Exercise). 🛡 This new international exercise was held for the first time in September in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Having set a focus also on the Indo-Pacific region, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) contributed its expertise to the exercise by supporting the development of the scenario, StratEx, and various exercise systems, including the Power Grid system, web services, and the Digital Forensics and Incident Response component.

Organising 🛡Locked Shields, one of the biggest live-fire cyber resilience exercises in the world, is a collective effort of a large organising team. The preparation for next year’s iteration is in full swing and on 3-4 October, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) held the Initial Planning Conference (IPC) in Tallinn. The two-day event brought together nearly 300 members of the community of LS organisers, planners and developers with one goal – to provide the most useful training experience to our participants during #LockedShields2025.

Luxembourg supports Ukrainian internships at CCDCOE 🤝 Today, during the visit to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) Ms Yuriko Backes, Minister for Defence of Luxembourg signed a declaration supporting Ukraine Internships Programme in CCDCOE. “For Luxembourg, supporting Ukraine in every way possible remains a priority. With cyber threats on the rise, the growing importance of ICT in the military domain and the still raging Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, I am pleased to sign the declaration of support to enable Ukrainian academics to undertake internships at NATO CCDCOE,” said Ms Yuriko Backes, Minister for Defence of Luxembourg.   "CCDCOE brings together 39 like-minded nations who stand as a coalition against cyber threats. Nation-sponsored initiatives like Luxembourg’s support for Ukraine are excellent examples of how CCDCOE is the best organization for building bridges and cyber defence cooperation among nations," said Dr. Mart Noorma, Director of NATO CCDCOE. "Supporting the development of Ukraine's new generation of leaders is the best thing we can do to better integrate Ukraine into the European Union and NATO." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gezWZsWT

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting a visit from the Belgian Cyber Command, led by General Van Strythem, along with industry representatives from Belgium’s cybersecurity sector. Our discussions focused on the products and services provided by the CCDCOE, while exploring how industry partners can contribute to our collective efforts to ensure a secure cyberspace.

⏳ CyCon 2025 „The Next Step“ Call for Papers deadline is fast approaching! We look forward to receiving your original research papers that offer technical, legal, strategic, policy and operational insights on future cyber-related developments by 8 October. Accepted papers will be included in the CyCon 2025 proceedings, and authors will be invited to present their findings on the CyCon stage from 27–30 May 2025 in Tallinn. 👉 Detailed information on abstract submissions can be found here: https://lnkd.in/dwBU-TdQ

📣 The Cyber Law Toolkit, a unique interactive online resource on international law and cyber operations, has released its annual update and opens call for submissions! 📌 The new scenarios released in the Toolkit explore topical issues such as the targeting of critical infrastructure and supply chain compromises, addressing problems hotly debated in the cyber community, as well as the reality of armed conflict and the conditions under which cyber operations might qualify as a crime of aggression. Throughout the year, new national and common positions on the application of international law in cyberspace, including those of Austria and Czechia, as well as the African Union, were added to the Cyber Law Toolkit, providing an invaluable resource for tracking current state views on international law in the cyber context. 📝Call for Submissions The project team is now inviting proposals for new scenarios for inclusion in the 2025 update of the Toolkit. Submit your proposal describing a hypothetical cyber incident and discussing the international legal issues it presents by ⏰ 15 November! Successful authors will receive an honorarium. 👉 Read more about the submission process: https://lnkd.in/d7bTs7Hn 👉 Explore The Cyber Law Toolkit: https://lnkd.in/dpM9dGYK

This week saw the conclusion of the Crises Response Planning phase in preparation for the annual NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) exercise Crossed Swords (EX XS 24) which was led by this year’s framework nation, Poland. Over two weeks, the staff of the Cyber Head Quarters (CHQ) for EX XS 24, carried out the planning cycle in order to coordinate and integrate Cyber Operations into a wider operational context. This provided the training audience with a realistic simulation of how to gain an appreciation of the operational environment, decide on Cyber Courses of Action (COA) and prepare operational orders for Cyberspace tactical units. The outcome of the planning phase demonstrates how full-spectrum cyber operations integrate into military operations. CHQ will gather again in December for Exercise Crossed Swords 24 and will have Command and Control of Tactical Cyber units.

Today, we had the privilege of hosting Kateryna Chernohorenko, Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine for Digitalisation, Digital Development and Digitalization, and her delegation at CCDCOE. Our engaging discussions centered on enhancing collaboration in cyber defense and sharing cutting-edge expertise in digital transformation.🤝 Ukraine has been a valued member of NATO CCDCOE since 2023, and this visit underscores our shared commitment to addressing evolving cyber threats. The insights gained from today's meeting will strengthen our joint efforts in safeguarding digital infrastructures and advancing cyber capabilities. We look forward to continue our cooperation on cyber defence!

Today we were happy to welcome Vice President of Stortinget (the Norwegian parliament), Mr. Svein Harberg and his delegation at CCDCOE to discuss the Centre's role in strengthening cyber defence capabilities across NATO and partner nations. During the visit, we exchanged insights on emerging cyber threats and explored avenues for enhancing international cooperation in cybersecurity. 🤝We look forward to continued dialogue and partnership with Norway and other like-minded nations as we work together to build a more secure cyberspace.