NATO'S CYBER SECURITY AND DEFENSE. BEFORE AND AFTER 2014 WALES SUMMIT

UNTIL RECENTLY, CYBER THREATS WERE CONSIDERED A QUASI-LIMITED SECURITY RISK. HOWEVER, THE WIDESPREAD OF ICT IN THE LAST DECADE CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CYBER RISKS, VULNERABILITIES, AND THREATS TO BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY. UNDOUBTEDLY, NOWADAYS, CYBERSPACE IS A STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT AS VALUABLE AS THE LAND, AIR, SEA OR SPACE DOMAIN. IN ESSENCE, THIS PAPER HIGHLIGHTS THAT CYBER SECURITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED IN ANY WAY BY ANY STATE OR NON-STATE COMPETITIVE ACTORS. IN PARTICULAR, THIS PAPER SELECTIVELY EXAMINES THE PATHWAYS FOLLOWED BY NATO, THROUGH CONTINUOUS REFORM, MODERNIZATION, AND TRANSFORMATION, TO ADAPT ITSELF AND EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO INFORMATION AGE CHALLENGES WITHIN CYBERSPACE. NOT THE LEAST, THIS PAPER SELECTIVELY DISCUSSES THE USE OF (ARMED?) FORCE, IF ANY, WITHIN CYBERSPACE AND CYBER OPERATIONS, USING A CONSTRUCTIVE AND THEORETICAL APPROACH.