NATO funds satellite backup for subsea internet cables

A NATO-backed initiative is looking to bolster the internet's resilience against disruption by quite literally taking things to the next level: space.

The ambitious £2 million project – dubbed HEIST (Hybrid Space/Submarine Architecture Ensuring Infosec of Telecommunications) – received the greenlight on 31 July 2024, with partial funding coming from NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) programme.

The goal of the project is to create a space-based safety net...

Nordic satellites targeted by Russia after Sweden’s NATO accession

Swedish authorities have accused Russia of deliberately targeting the country's satellite networks with "harmful interference" shortly after Sweden's accession to NATO earlier this year.

This information comes from a previously unreported letter dated June 4, sent by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations agency based in Geneva.

The PTS has requested that the ITU's radio regulations board address...

NATO launches hub to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure

NATO has inaugurated a specialised centre focused on the security of extensive undersea energy pipelines and cables, which are crucial for global communications, energy supply, and economic stability yet remain vulnerable to attacks.

The newly established NATO Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI) is based at NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood, UK. The centre, which recently achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC), serves as a...

NATO CCDCOE welcomes Ukraine, Japan, Iceland and Ireland as members

nato ccdcoe ukraine japan ireland iceland cybersecurity security infosec members

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) celebrated its 15th anniversary by welcoming Ukraine, Japan, Iceland, and Ireland as new member nations. 

The CCDCOE’s headquarters in Tallinn raised the flags of each nation, signifying their integration into the cyber defense family. The inclusion of these nations is expected to enhance cooperation, knowledge sharing, and collective efforts in addressing cyber threats.

CCDCOE Director Mart Noorma expressed...

Russian hackers disrupt NATO comms used for earthquake relief

Russian hacking group Killnet has claimed responsibility for disrupting communications between NATO and other organisations providing earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria.

The devastating earthquake has claimed at least 28,000 lives and efforts continue to pull victims from the rubble. Countries and NGOs worldwide dispatched resources to provide humanitarian aid, including aircraft with transport and airlift capabilities.

Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) is a...

Ukraine signs NATO cybersecurity centre accession

Ukraine has formally signed its accession to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).

The country applied for CCDCOE membership in August 2021. On 4 March 2022, existing CCDCOE members voted unanimously to accept Ukraine into the organisation.

“We have been actively cooperating with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence for the last year,” said Yurii Shchyhol, Head of the State Special Communications Service of...

Japan joins NATO cyber defense centre

Japan has become the latest member of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).

While there have been thankfully few cases of conventional warfare on Western territories for decades, in no small part thanks to NATO, the planet has remained locked in a cyber World War.

In April, members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance issued a joint cybersecurity advisory warning of increased attacks on critical infrastructure from Russia. These attacks...

South Korea, Canada, and Luxembourg join NATO cyber defence centre

The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) held a flag-raising ceremony to welcome its latest members.

CCDCOE raised the flags of South Korea, Canada, and Luxembourg this week to mark the momentous occasion.

Colonel Jaak Tarien, Head of the CCDCOE, said:

“It is a great honour to have Canada, Republic of Korea and Luxembourg in our growing and diverse family of like-minded nations.

Each member of the CCDCOE plays an important role...

US warns a Russian cyberattack could trigger a NATO response

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has warned that a Russian cyberattack on a NATO ally could trigger a collective response.

"We could see circumstances in which a collective response by the alliance to a cyberattack would be called by an ally," said Sullivan. "That is absolutely something where we and other countries could bring capabilities to help a country defend itself and respond."

Sullivan made the warning a day after President Biden said that...

UK’s National Cyber Force is unveiled after months of speculation

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has officially unveiled the National Cyber Force (NCF) after months of speculation about its existence.

On Thursday, PM Johnson pledged £24.1 billion for the military over the next four years to 

cement the UK’s position as the largest defence spender in Europe and the second-largest in NATO after the US.

“The international situation is more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold...