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NATO is taking significant steps towards improving its data-sharing capabilities with the development of a classified cloud system designed to facilitate secure information exchange among its 32 member nations. The initiative, aimed at fostering a more data-centric approach, was outlined by NATO’s Chief Information Officer, Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer, at NATO EDGE 2024.
According to Breaking Defense, the new cloud system will enable NATO nations to consolidate various data repositories into a single, secure infrastructure, enhancing the accessibility and analysis of critical information. Boudreaux-Dehmer explained that the move to a shared cloud environment not only streamlines data management but also encourages member countries to rethink how they prepare and handle data. The cloud will be a key enabler for NATO’s strategic goals, including integrating advanced technologies like machine learning and ensuring timely, relevant decision-making across multi-domain operations.
While the goal is to have all 32 NATO countries onboard, Boudreaux-Dehmer emphasized that the timeline depends on each nation’s ability to migrate its data securely. Currently, a small group of countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., is working on creating an implementation directive that will serve as a framework for managing classified data in the cloud. Once this framework is approved, NATO countries can begin the accreditation process to ensure their data meets the necessary security standards, according to Breaking Defense.
Stephen Lewis, NATO’s acting chief of the cloud portfolio, noted that the accreditation process would not be easy but emphasized that once one country is accredited, others could do so as well more easily. The move to a classified cloud is seen as a vital step for NATO’s technological transformation, as Chief of Staff of the Allied Command Transformation, Simon Asquith, pointed out during the conference. Asquith highlighted that digital transformation and the transition to a classified cloud are essential for NATO to effectively conduct modern operations and remain competitive in an increasingly data-driven world.
Inspired by Ukraine’s cloud migration amid heightened Russian cyber threats, NATO’s push towards a secure cloud infrastructure is poised to enhance the alliance’s ability to operate securely and efficiently in the digital age.
