NATO Cyber Coalition 2018 planning conference room in the Czech Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague from Oct. 30-31,  2018. - NATO photo by SHAPE Public Affairs Office

MONS, Belgium - The fourth and final NATO Cyber Coalition 2018 planning conference was held in Prague, Czech Republic from Oct. 30 to 31, 2018.

Both the representatives of NATO member and partner countries and the representatives of the European Union (EU) and NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) bodies gathered in Prague. Among other things, they were tasked to prepare a scenario and content of the exercise in a way which would reflect contemporary trends and threats in cyber security. Concerning the rapid evolution in this field, evoking such a realistic environment is one of the greatest challenges.

"Cyber Coalition 2018 is well on track for another successful execution thanks to the hard work and preparation of NATO Nations and Organisations, Partners, and the exercise's Core Planning Team. I am really pleased with the outcome of our Final Coordination Conference in Prague, and it was exciting to see so many Nations dedicated to exercising collaboratively in cyberspace," said the Executive Director of Cyber Coalition, Lieutenant Commander Robert Buckles.

The Czech Republic counts as a regular participant of the NATO Cyber Coalition exercise. It is one of the largest and the most important cyber security exercises which usually hosts around 900 experts from 27 member and partner countries, and other institutions. Representatives of academia and the private sector also participate as they play a key role in cyber security not only during the exercise but also in the real world. The content of the Cyber Coalition exercise consists of solving the cyber security incidents occurring across the countries and particular sectors and sharing the information with each other.

"The Czech Republic's National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) were incredibly gracious to organise the conference, and the venue at their Ministry of Foreign Affairs was stunning. We could not have asked for better hosts," Buckles added.

NATO Cyber Coalition 2018 will be held from Nov. 26 to 30, 2018 in Tartu, Estonia.