NATO is set to launch a new cyber center based in Mons, Belgium, to enhance the military alliance’s response to cyber threats.
“This center will allow us to better combine the way in which we are monitoring the threat, the way we are controlling the attack surface of the enterprise [and] the way we are managing the risk,” stated Stefano Piermarocchi, head of the Enterprise Cyber Risk Management portfolio at the NATO Chief Information Office, in an interview with Breaking Defense.
Consolidating NATO Resources
According to the official, the center, called the NATO Integrated Cyber Defense Centre, will facilitate collaboration between the alliance and the industry. This will ensure that all NATO officials receive the latest updates and can communicate effectively with member states.
Brig. Gen. Sam Raeves, assistant chief of staff of J6 Cyberspace at NATO, echoed Piermarocchi’s sentiments. “Putting all those elements together, instead of having them dispersed all over the alliance, it will really improve the situation and the cohesion of information sharing,” he said on the sidelines of NATO Edge 2024.
Piermarocchi noted that the new center will consolidate NATO’s cybersecurity resources, including the Cyber Security Center, Cyber Operations Center and Cyber Threat Analysis Branch.
When asked about the timeline for the new center, Piermarocchi mentioned that it is expected to become operational by 2028, as NATO needs to recruit personnel and coordinate efforts among its 32 member nations.