NATO has launched a series of exercises to prepare and deal with potential cyber attacks.<br /><br />The hub for the exercises is based in Tallinn, Estonia. The country experienced cyberattacks in 2007 that paralysed key business and government web services for days. <br /><br />Estonia then set up a crack cyber defence unit in response.<br /><br />“Often it’s described as a cyber war against Estonia, but now we recognise it more like a organised cyber hooliganism,” said Andreus Padar, commander of Estonia’s Cyber Defence Unit. “Computers and networks might be used as useful equipment but also as weapons.<br /><br />Tarmo Randel, head of Computer Emergency Response team at the base, said anti-virus or any other form of protection could be useless against a massive cyber attack.<br /><br />“The most important thing is to have friends inside your country and outside your country. You never know who is going to support some politically motivated decisions with, for example, a cyber attack,” said Randel.<br /><br />At NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons, Belgium, analysts say attacks on the alliance’s defense systems are growing in number and sophistication.<br /><br />Jamie Shea, head of NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division, said cyber aggressors could face retaliatory strikes.<br /><br />“Deterrence is important. We have said for example that article 5 of NATO’s collective defence mechanism could apply in the event of the cyber attack if that cyber attack reaches a certain threshold,” Shea told euronews.<br /><br />Article 5 of the NATO treaty says an attack on one member is considered as an attack on the whole alliance.<br /><br />It means that a country plotting a strike on one NATO member could be subjected to collective action by all 28 members.
