On Dec. 18th, 2011, Daniel Michaels wrote for the Wall Street Journal on NATO's new approach to cybersecurity. Following a new cyberdefense policy announced in June, NATO has begun accepting bids from defense contractors to upgrade its cyber capabilities. According to the article, traditional US defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are expected to put in a bid. The contract is only worth $42 million, but the article notes that the contract represents a business opportunity for US defense contractors. By winning this contract, US defense contractors may be able to enter the European market and find other governments or businesses that are interested in updating their cybersecurity.
The article goes on to say that the contract would help NATO "collect and sift through vast amounts of data cross NATO networks" and assist member governments with cyberattacks. NATO began to really focus on cybersecurity following cyberattacks upon member-state Estonia (2007) and ally Georgia (2008). NATO was unable to help either Estonia or Georgia stop the cyberattacks, and this helplessness was an impetus for the current cybersecurity focus.
The source article can be found here.
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