Bervovo, Macedonia: MIIS Cyber Director Dr. Itamara Lochard presented “NATO-Led Cyber Operations: Cyber Challenges” at the “NATO Partnership and Operations: Addressing Insecurities and Creating Security” workshop of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia. This event took place in Berovo, Macedonia with supported from the NATO Emerging Security Challenges Division. It was attended by participants from Albania, Croatia, Italy, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Slovakia and Serbia.
Key-Leader Engagement
Presentation by Dr. Itamara Lochard at the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 15 November 2013
15 November 2013: Dr. Itamara Lochard, Director of MIIS Cyber, spoke on “Non-State Actors in A Digital World” at the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Skopje, Macedonia. The closed-audience included the multilateral division, intelligence agency institute for diplomacy, military academy and weapons demobilization divisions of the Macedonian MFA.
MOU between MIIS Cyber and the Military Academy General Milhailo Apostolski of Macedonia – 15 November 2013
15 November 2013: MIIS Cyber and the Military Academy General Mihailo Apostolski of Macedonia signed an MOU. This is the first regional cyber security effort in Southeast Europe which is a follow-on to the October NATO ESCD Science for Peace-sponsored effort. It aims to provide training, education and awareness for all Balkan states. Given the strong support by the Macedonian Minister of Defense, First Secretary of the MOD and Dean of the Military Academy, the hope is that fostering the development of ICT security for the region will help ensure stability, peace and prosperity in the Balkans. MIIS Cyber Director, Dr. Lochard received a plaque from the Macedonian Military Academy for her assistance in developing this initiative over the past year and was interviewed in a press conference by news agencies in Macedonia.
Round-table on “Defending an Open, Global, Secure and Resilient Internet” in San Francisco
31 October 2013: MIIS Provost Dr. Amy Sands and MIIS CySec Director Dr. Itamara Lochard participated at a small Council on Foreign Relations round-table on “Defending an Open, Global, Secure and Resilient Internet” in San Francisco, CA. The event included key leaders in Silicon Valley and was closed to the public.
Launch of First NATO Cyber Defense Training in the Balkans: 21-26 October 2013
21-26 October 2013: MIIS Cyber Director Dr. Lochard helped launch the first NATO cyber defense training in the Balkans, in Ohrid, Macedonia sponsored by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme of the Emerging Security Challenges Division. She assisted in establishing this effort over the past year with hosts from Macedonia and Slovenia. Participants included an interdisciplinary mix of representatives in academia, industry, international organizations, NGOs and mid- to senior-level political-military leaders from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and the U.S. from the private sector, academia and government ministries. This inaugural step is the first in a series of planned efforts aims to increase awareness on cyber security, mitigate cyber threats and create stability in the region by fostering cooperation on cyber matters.