November 8, Vice Minister of National Defence Margiris Abukevičius met with U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania HE Robert S. Gilchrist for a discussion on the progress made in developing practical cooperation in the area of cybersecurity.
A team of specialists from the Defensive Cyber Operations Element of the Pennsylvania National Guard has been in Lithuania since early November, sharing experience in cyber defence and threat assessment with colleagues from Lithuania’s National Cyber Security Centre in a series of work meetings.
“Lithuania and the Pennsylvania National Guard have a long history of cooperation. We had numerous joint military events and exercise over these 28 years. As cyber threats are becoming more significant, we are adapting the cooperation with the PANG swiftly as well, and joint cybersecurity projects are naturally appearing side by side with the traditional areas of military cooperation,” says Vice Minister of National Defence M. Abukevičius.
While in Lithuania, the PANG team visited the Regional Cyber Defence Centre (branch of the National Cyber Security Centre) opened this summer whose main focus is on practical activities aiming at a better cybersecurity of the countries in the region. The Regional Cyber Security Centre is already manned by experts from Ukraine and Georgia. It is planned to become the main platform for practical cyber defence cooperation with the PANG. A Regional Cyber Defence Centre team is planned to visit the United States in December later this year for consultations with PANG experts on organisations of cybersecurity exercises and on training of required personnel.
The PANG team visit and work meetings with National Cyber Security Centre colleagues is another step of bilateral cooperation launched two years ago. The team was here in the spring of 2019 assisting the National Cyber Security Centre in ensuring cybersecurity of elections.
Photo credits: MoD/A.Pliadis.