NATO and the Czech Republic signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to improve and enhance cyber defense cooperation and assistance between NATO and national cyber defense authorities.

The signing was conducted by NATO Assistant Secretary General Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, Chairman of the Cyber Defence Management Board (CDMB), and Engineer Dušan Navrátil, Director of the Czech National Security Agency.

Signing of the new MOU on Cyber Defence between the NATO Chairman of the Cyber Defence Management Board (CDMB), Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, and Engineer Dušan Navrátil, the Director of the Czech National Security Agency. Photo: NATO.
Signing of the new MOU on Cyber Defence between the NATO Chairman of the Cyber Defence Management Board (CDMB), Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, and Engineer Dušan Navrátil, the Director of the Czech National Security Agency. Photo: NATO.

This is the second generation of the MoU template, which was approved by the NATO members in line with the 2014 Enhanced NATO Policy on Cyber Defense. The 2014 plan, endorsed at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, U.K., was a response to increasingly common, sophisticated, and potentially damaging cyber threats and attacks, the alliance said.

“The new MoU reflects the latest cyber defense developments contained within the Enhanced NATO Policy on Cyber Defence,” NATO said in a statement.

“We are glad that the Czech Republic was quick to complete their MoU with NATO. Such an MoU represents an important tool for NATO and Allies to ensure better protection of our networks,” Ducaru said

The Czech Republic said it was determined on further cooperation, noting the “importance of their swift decision making, which is critical when it comes to cyber security crises”. Navrátil highlighted the significance of cyber defense cooperation within NATO and offered support from national cyber defense specialists and experts.

Ducaru welcomed the message and said such support “is not only about information exchange but also training and exercises.”