The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) organized its first cyber defense conference in the German capital, Berlin.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in his speech at the opening of the conference: “It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the first NATO Cyber Defense Conference and to do so with Minister Baerbock.” He said.
Pointing out that today it is not possible to think of any conflict without its cyber dimension, Stoltenberg said: “Cyber attacks can be at least as destructive and dangerous as kinetic attacks. “This is why NATO has been taking cyber threats seriously for many years,” he added.
Noting that NATO was present in three military domains: air, sea and land, Stoltenberg said: “Later, we added the cyber domain as an independent military domain to show how important cyber threats are.”
one for all all for one
Recalling that NATO agreed a few years ago that cyberattacks could trigger Article 5, Stoltenberg said: “This is the promise at the heart of our alliance that an attack on one is an attack on all. One for all and all for one. Because cyber attacks can be at least as harmful as kinetic attacks.
Noting that authoritarian regimes, including China and Russia, challenge the interests, values and security of NATO member states, Stoltenberg said: “Although China is not our enemy, it does not share our values. Beijing uses new technologies as a means of repression in its country. “It exports its technologies, including facial recognition, to countries around the world as tools of state control,” he said.
Pointing out that cyber attacks must be deterred, and, if necessary, defended against them, Stoltenberg said: “Most of the time, these attacks are difficult to detect and even link. At the NATO summit in Vilnius, the Allies agreed on a new concept to strengthen our cyber defense. “From a political perspective, this means sending a strong message to potential enemies that there will be consequences if they attack us, and giving SACEUR the authority to respond if necessary.” He said.
“We must not repeat this mistake.”
Pointing out that there is a need for secure communications systems, especially 5G networks, Stoltenberg said: “This means we must avoid relying on equipment provided by authoritarian regimes to build our digital backbone for the future. We have seen the consequences of relying on Russia for our energy supplies. “We must not repeat this mistake of relying on China to provide technology for our critical networks.” He said.
“As we saw in Ukraine, private companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Starlink have become critical actors in their own right.”
Stoltenberg touched on the importance of the private sector in the cyberspace, saying: “As we see in Ukraine, private companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Starlink have become critical actors in their own right. “They responded to direct requests for assistance from Kiev,” he added.
“I know there are people who think it is unethical for private companies to cooperate with the military.”
Noting that it is not possible to keep countries safe without the private sector, Stoltenberg said: “Therefore, we need to talk more, plan and exercise together. I know there are those who think it is unethical for private companies and the military to act together.” cooperation. There is nothing immoral in defending our nations, and there is nothing immoral in defending our freedom. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said.
Stoltenberg stressed that there would be no defence, deterrence or security without industry. “Therefore, we must be better at working together,” he said. “That is why this conference is so important.” “Because it brings governments and the private sector together to discuss and address how to work together more effectively,” he said. Closer.”
Pointing out that we now live in a more dangerous world, Stoltenberg said: “These risks exist in the cyber world as well as in the physical world. “Through NATO, we can work together to strengthen our cybersecurity,” he said.
(tags for translation) NATO