The Joint Cyberspace Command is attending CyberCo II 26 to strengthen European collaboration on cyber defence

 Vice-Admiral Roca represented Spain at the meeting of EU cyber commanders

Vice-Admiral Javier Roca, Commander of the Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE), took part in the European Union Cyber Commanders’ Conference (CyberCo II 26), held in Dublin. Organised by the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU, this meeting brought together 51 representatives from the military, the diplomatic corps and industry to analyse the main digital threats, coordinate operational capabilities and strengthen the protection of European cyberspace.

The forum was attended by 40 delegates from 20 member states, alongside representatives from the European Defence Agency (EDA), the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the EU Military Staff (EUMS). Spain was also represented on the diplomatic front by Ambassador Fernando Nogales, an advisory member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation.

During the joint session between military leaders and cyber ambassadors, the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) outlined the current risk landscape across the continent. At the same forum, details were provided on the operations of the CyCLONe network, designed to respond to large-scale cyber incidents, and the EEAS moderated a debate on the responsible use of military cyber capabilities within the framework of international law.

At the meeting reserved for military commanders, those present examined the risk assessment drawn up by the EU Cyber Defence Coordination Centre (EU CDCC). In addition, the MIC26 exercise was presented, and the EDA led a discussion focusing on strictly operational aspects relating to the preparedness of the armed forces of the member states.

The private sector’s perspective was represented at a specialist panel featuring cybersecurity firms such as Mandiant, CrowdStrike and Gartner. The experts analysed resilience in the face of automated attacks at machine speed, the value of threat intelligence and the new challenges associated with artificial intelligence.

The meeting concluded with the handover of the organisation of CyberCo to Lithuania, which is set to assume the next presidency of the Council of the EU. The presence of the MCCE commander in Dublin has reinforced the integration and commitment of the Spanish Armed Forces to a common, coordinated and interoperable cyber defence model.