The Tallinn, Estonia-based NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) has welcomed four new members – Bulgaria, Denmark, Norway and Romania; the centre now has 25 member countries, becoming the biggest among 25 NATO-accredited centres of excellence.
“In eleven years, we have grown from seven founding members to the 25-nations strong cyber defence hub with prominent world-renowned flagships,” Colonel Jaak Tarien, the director of the centre, said in a statement, issued on 13 June.
“We are glad to see so many new nations lining up to join our expert community, it shows that in cyber defence, the co-operation among like-minded countries has become inevitable.”
“The fact that more and more nations are joining up to actively contribute to cyber security reflects the need to improve capabilities in the cyber domain,” Tarien added. “Increased global connectivity and technological development means we have to be ready for any type of cyber threat and bring our capabilities up to date. Tackling cyber threats that our democracies are facing demand expert knowledge and skills, which are reinforced by close cooperation between Allies and Partners.”
Luxembourg and Australia intending to join
The centre continues to attract new members: Japan, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Switzerland are in the process of joining the CCDCOE. In addition, Luxembourg and Australia have announced their intention of accession.
Founded in 2008, the CCDCOE is a NATO-accredited international military organisation supporting its member nations and NATO with cyber defence expertise in the fields of technology, strategy, operations and law.
The organisation is the home of the Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations. The Centre also organises the world’s largest and most complex international technical cyber defence exercise, Locked Shields.
Cover: The accession ceremony of Bulgaria, Denmark, Norway and Romania to the NATO CCDCOE in Tallinn. Photo by Ardi Hallismaa.