WASHINGTON ― Portugal and Australia are set to join NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCD COE) April 24, becoming the 21st and 22nd nations to join the center.

“We are glad to welcome Portugal, another strong NATO Ally joining the Centre,” Merle Maigre, director of the CCD COE, said in a release. The center “offers a unique opportunity for all NATO Allies to practice together new interdisciplinary approaches in cyber defense.”

Maigre added that Australia’s accession to the group “expands the reach and cooperation of like-minded nations in cyber defence beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, making our cyber defense hub truly global.”

Based in Estonia, the CCD COE brings together researchers, analysts and educators to analyze issues of cyber defense. The center functions as a focal point for international cooperation on cyber security issues by hosting an annual Cyber Conference, or CyCon, and by coordinating live-fire cyber defense exercises. The center is the home of the Tallin Manual 2.0, a document that articulates how cyber operations relate to international law.

Norway and Japan joined the Center in September 2017 and January 2018, respectively.

Daniel Cebul is an editorial fellow and general assignments writer for Defense News, C4ISRNET, Fifth Domain and Federal Times.

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