NATO plans cyber defense drill

NATO will hold a vast cyber defense drill this week involving 400 computer scientists and 16 nations.

The exercise is part of the alliance’s effort to improve cyber defenses amid rising threats from hackers worldwide.

{mosads}The drill at NATO’s cyber defense center in Tallinn, Estonia will focus on vulnerabilities related to migrating from Windows 8 to Windows 10, organizers said.

The event will draw attention to NATO’s current cyber capabilities and the group’s stance on offensive cyber actions.

Last month, leaders repeated that cyber attacks against member nations could provoke military action from NATO in what is known as an Article 5 response.

This statement roiled relationships with Russia, which is known for its malicious activity in cyberspace.

The tensions were apparent during a recent back-and-forth between NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Russian official Konstantin Kosachev, who reportedly asked if NATO would bomb countries it suspects of launching cyberattacks.

“We will do what’s necessary to do to protect all allies,” Stoltenberg replied at the event in Brussels, according to Defense News.

“But I’m not going to tell you exactly how I’m going to do that … that’s the main message.”