On Thursday, NATO Allies announced they had reached an agreement to establish a new center that will address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
The NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre (NICC) will augment the protection of NATO and Allied networks as well as the use of cyberspace as an operational domain. The Centre will make NATO military commanders aware of possible threats and vulnerabilities in cyberspace, officials said, including in privately-owned civilian critical infrastructures that support military activities.
U.S. Rep. Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, praised the announcement.
“The creation of a new NATO cyber center in Belgium is a major step forward in combating cyber warfare and securing our cyber networks,” Green said. “Since NATO’s founding in 1949, the threat landscape has drastically evolved, and this new center is an acknowledgment of NATO’s need to evolve as well. With the presence of increasingly aggressive regimes around the globe, this decision reinforces the fact that we cannot defend our networks or critical infrastructure alone.”
Green said the Centre would help with increased threats against critical infrastructure.
“Our cybersecurity defenses should never be siloed by federal agency, state, sector, or even by country,” he said. “I am hopeful that the cyber center facilitates critical infrastructure resilience across Europe and North America, and I look forward to seeing this effort improve risk mitigation and threat visibility in the cyber domain.”
Bringing together civilian and military personnel from across NATO, Allied countries and industry experts, the Centre will leverage advanced technologies to increase situational awareness in cyberspace while enhancing resilience and defense, officials said.
The new Centre is in line with share values and obligations, NATO officials said, and will promote a predictable and secure approach to cybersecurity. The Centre will be based at NATO’s strategic military headquarters at SHAPE in Belgium. More details about the structure and functions of the Centre will be shared in the coming months, officials said.