NATO officials, industry meet on cyberattack challenge

By

The Associated Press

Incoming NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and outgoing SACEUR General Philip M. Breedlove enter during the change of command ceremony at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium on May 4, 2016. General Scaparrotti, U.S. Army, is the 18th officer to hold the prestigious position of SACEUR. – NATO Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Danielle Brandt, USN

MONS, Belgium — NATO officials, representatives from member states and private industry are meeting to discuss how to better defend against cyberattacks, which alliance leaders have called a security challenge that could cause as much harm as conventional military attacks.

Ian West, chief of cybersecurity for NATO’s Communications and Information Agency, told the conference in the Belgian city of Mons on Thursday that “all of us are facing the same ever-increasing number of incidents, types of incidents and sophistication of incidents.”

In July, President Obama and other NATO leaders agreed to add cyberspace as a domain for alliance operations, along with land, sea and air.

They also committed NATO’s 28 member countries to enhancing their national cyber defenses “as a matter of priority.”