Cyber defense center adds two members

TALLINN - The United States and Poland joined the Tallinn-based NATO cyber defense center on Nov. 17, reports National Broadcasting. Now there are ten countries that take part in the center’s work.
In order to emphasize the importance of the NATO cyber defense center and of the increase in the number of countries taking part in its work, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves also participated in the ceremony of hoisting the flags of the United States and Poland.

“These particular countries becoming official members of the center – the United States and on the European level also Poland – is unquestionably important as it strengthens the center, raises its international profile and influence and through that the number of members will grow further,” said the Minister of Defense Mart Laar.
 U.S. Ambassador to Estonia Michael C. Polt stated that the cyber defense center clearly helps cement the reputation of Estonia as an expert in cyberspace. “The cyber defense center is one of the more important institutions for emerging new ideas on how to create cyber defense – that is why we joined in,” said the Polish Ambassador to Estonia Grzegorz M. Poznanski.

In addition to the two new members, cyber threats are also analyzed in the center by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Spain.