NATO is joining forces with Microsoft, Palo Alto and ESET to enhance resilience to cyber threats and promote free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace in line with international obligations.
These strategic and non-commercial partnerships were formally announced today [27 May] at the International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon) in Tallinn, Estonia, building new momentum for NATO-industry cyber cooperation. The partnerships will help facilitate dialogue, information sharing, exchange of best practices, as well as coordinated activities to address issues of common interest.
"Deterrence and defence in cyberspace and the digital sphere are not only a matter of reliable hardware and software, but they are also about shared norms and principles," Jean Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Cyber and Digital Transformation, said at the Conference. "This is particularly true at a time when critical infrastructure essential for our societies to function is under attack, and malicious actors take advantage of technological developments to rapidly evolve their tactics," he underlined.
At the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Allies agreed to expand cooperation with the cyber private sector, recognising the crucial expertise and experience that industry has in preventing, defending against and responding to ever more sophisticated and diverse malicious cyber activities. NATO's enhanced cooperation with industry partners like Microsoft, Palo Alto and ESET will help make systems more secure, more resilient and quicker to recover from attacks.
The International Conference on Cyber Conflict is an annual event organised by NATO's Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The 2026 edition (26-29 May), themed "Securing Tomorrow," brings together 800 decision-makers, cyber experts, academics and industry representatives from 48 countries.
