Germany to let NATO use its cyber skills
Germany is to join the ranks of NATO countries making its cyber warfare skills available to the alliance to help fight hacking and electronic warfare, officials told AFP on 14 February 2019.
NATO has designated cyberspace as a conflict domain alongside land, sea and air and says electronic attacks by the likes of Russia and China - but also criminals and so-called ‘hacktivists’ - are becoming more frequent and more destructive.
German officials used a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels on 14 February 2019 to tell allies that Berlin would make its cyber capabilities available, including offensive elements, sources said. The US, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia have all made their offensive cyber weapons available to the alliance - and announced it publicly - in the expectation that the threat of counterattack may deter would-be aggressors.
As with other military resources such as tanks and jets, alliance members retain control over their cyber capabilities and make them available to NATO when requested for missions and operations. Targets for offensive cyber tactics can include anything with an Internet connection, including computers and smartphones, right up to devices which control key machinery at power plants and transport networks.
In a sign of the growing importance NATO countries attach to cyber, this year Britain said it would spend £65 million ($83 million) on offensive capabilities.
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces]()
Airbus launches final CSO observation satellite for French Armed Forces
Airbus was awarded the Composante Spatiale Optique (CSO) contract at the end of 2010. This included an option for a third satellite, which was activated after Germany joined the programme in 2015.
-
![Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy]()
Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy
Israel will continue to develop autonomy for its weapons and platforms as it brings together defence personnel, academia and industry.
-
![Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s]()
Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s
Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
-
![Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch]()
Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
-
![AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family]()
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
