A conference on the NATO’s policy in the area of cyber defense is taking place in Sofia on December 9-10.

The presentation of the main possibilities and practices for counteraction of cyber-terrorism is the main goal of the forum. Some 100 representatives of state institutions, NGOs, companies, students and journalists attend the event.

NATO is continuously developing and enhancing the protection of its communication and information systems against attacks or illegal access.

These efforts, and capabilities to assist nations’ to protect their networks, represent the practical implementation of NATO’s current policy on cyber defence, which was approved by the member nations in January 2008, following the cyber attacks targeted Estonia, in 2007.

The 2010 NATO Summit in Lisbon placed cyber security at the fore front of the new security challenges that NATO and its new Division on Emerging Security Challenges, will have to deal with in the years ahead.

Both the new Strategic Concept and the Lisbon Summit Declaration make clear that the rapid evolution and graving sophistication of cyber attacks make the protection of Allies’ information and communications systems an urgent task of NATO on which its future security depends.

The Summit issued further political guidance and tasking on cyber defence requesting an in-depth review of current policy, relevant updates and an action plan for implementation of the new policy.