NATO needs to embrace greater interoperability and artificial intelligence-enabled solutions to improve its cyber defense capabilities amid growing threats in the region, according to Dana Barnes, president of government at AI firm Dataminr.
In a blog post on the Dataminr website, Barnes, a Wash100 winner, wrote that despite NATO’s initiatives to respond to cyberattacks and improve its defense capabilities, its 32 members continue to struggle amid the lack of a unified vision.
To improve the alliance’s defense against bad actors, he recommended adopting commercially available products and open-source information. He highlighted how the private sector has the needed tools to maximize the advantages offered by AI that would support efforts focused on addressing cyber risks and cyber-physical threats.
“In an era marked by turbulence, the alliance stands as a cornerstone for peace and stability — not just for transatlantic security but for global security,” Barnes wrote. “As NATO works to establish its integrated Cyber Defense Centre, it will be crucial for the alliance to strengthen its partnerships with the private sector and leverage AI technology.”
Lt. Gen. Tom Copinger-Symes, deputy commander of the U.K. Strategic Command, earlier expressed the same sentiment, emphasizing the vital role to be played by the latest technologies in ensuring the alliance’s resiliency against any form of cyberattack.
Barnes’ post comes as Europe experiences an increasing wave of cyberattacks. In May, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock revealed that Russian state actors have targeted members of the ruling Social Democratic Party as well as companies in the IT, aerospace, defense and logistics industries.