The most important players in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation are the member countries themselves.
LEADING THE DIGITAL CHARGE
Insights from NATO’s Inaugural Chief Information Officer
In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and evolving geopolitical landscapes, NATO is at the forefront of digital transformation. Dr. Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer, NATO’s inaugural Chief Information Officer, is driving this initiative forward, integrating cutting-edge technologies and enhancing operational readiness across NATO.
In this interview, Dr. Boudreaux-Dehmer shares his career journey, NATO’s strategic approach to digital innovation, and the critical role of cybersecurity in safeguarding the Alliance’s mission to ensure global security. Join us as we explore how NATO is leveraging technology to navigate the complexities of modern defence and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
Career Journey
Can you share your career journey and what led you to your current role as NATO’s inaugural Chief Information Officer?
I started my career in Germany, where I was a data entry clerk, computer operator, and then a programmer on an IBM midrange system. From there, I joined the international headquarters of Compaq Computer Corporation in Munich and later transferred to their Latin American headquarters in Houston, Texas. I spent nine years there, taking on increasing responsibilities in IT for Latin America— at one point, I even had a second office in Brazil. Compaq and HP merged in 2002, and I joined HP’s IT group for the Americas. At that time, I got into the nascent field of data analytics and later moved into strategy and planning for supply chain systems, as well as offshore development and support in Asia. I left HP and took on global IT leadership at Sierra Wireless, a 5G and Internet of Things pioneer, in Vancouver, Canada. After eleven years of integrating several acquired companies and divesting nonstrategic parts of our business, it was time to do something else.
This brings us to 2021 when I came to NATO as the first CIO, with the mandate to provide coherence for our large and diverse systems footprint, advancing our digital transformation journey and overseeing cybersecurity.
NATO’s Digital Transformation
How is NATO driving digital transformation across its operations, and what are the key initiatives enhancing communication, collaboration, and defence capabilities?
NATO’s digital transformation strategy was approved at the Madrid Summit in 2022. The aim is to achieve seamless interplay of our systems to enhance situational awareness, orchestrate operational effects, embed risk management and digital mission assurance, adopt new capabilities, aggregate data, and bolster security and the protection of personal data.
We have been implementing the strategy across the NATO Enterprise, which covers 50+ entities ranging from strategic military commands and subordinate commands, to agencies, schools, training centres, and several research facilities that we operate to conduct the business of the Alliance. NATO’s purpose is to guarantee freedom and security for its member nations, which amounts to about one billion people. Deterrence and defence is at the centre of NATO’s purpose. The “business at hand” is, therefore, a strong military that is technologically advanced and able to defend the Alliance when needed. Our digital transformation focuses heavily on defence capabilities, particularly in multi-domain operations that is, since 2019, air, land, sea, space and cyber. We work diligently on our systems landscape to integrate all five domains so that our military commanders have the full range of information at their disposal.
In line with Article 4 of NATO’s founding Treaty—known as the Washington Treaty, we consistently improve our communication capabilities, allowing Allies to meet virtually to discuss and decide on issues together. The emphasis here is to guarantee the availability, confidentiality, and integrity of our networks, especially in adverse situations, through multiple redundancy mechanisms.
Cybersecurity Strategy
Given the growing threats of cyber warfare, how does NATO ensure the security and resilience of its IT infrastructure and protect sensitive information?
There is a people, processes, and technology component to your question.
For the first component, people, we aim to hire the very best. We all know that talented cybersecurity specialists are hard to find, but NATO has a unique value proposition that is firmly rooted in our purpose of guaranteeing the safety and security of Allies. If you have cyber skills and want to help defend freedom and the rules-based international order, take a close look at NATO. What we do is truly remarkable!
Additionally, what many people do not know, and what I am immensely proud of, is that we have a strong Diversity and Inclusion program. I work in the International Staff of NATO, and there are five staff resource groups, led by volunteers, who work hard to consistently advance our collective understanding and embrace diversity. These five groups do not just exist on paper; they actively focus on racial diversity, young professionals, working parents, staff with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA+ community. I am proud to be involved in the latter as their executive sponsor.
Processes need to be documented, but more importantly, they must be tested regularly to ensure consistent improvement. We spend a lot of time exercising different cybersecurity scenarios through various methods. These range from cybersecurity training programs supported by Artificial Intelligence to in-person tabletop exercises. Our internal AI-supported training courses are impressive; they can measure a learner’s confidence in their answers and adapt teaching accordingly. This means that the person taking the training will never be bored by a barrage of questions where the answers are obvious. The system quickly measures what the student knows and how well information sticks in their memory. The tool then pivots to the parts of the training material where the learner is less knowledgeable or less confident in their answers.
Finally, there is technology. In addition to well-known and standard protection mechanisms, we also employ AI and other advanced technologies in areas such as threat assessment, event correlation, and adaptive networks. These tools take over a lot of the routine work, allowing our analysts to truly analyse and think ahead.
Data Analytics in Defense
How is NATO leveraging data analytics and AI to improve decision-making and operational readiness across its member nations?
Much like any other business, we seek to employ data analytics in a forward-looking fashion. We want answers to questions that are evolving in an iterative cycle—the more we connect the dots across different data elements, the more we can anticipate what we want to know next.
Moreover, we want data and AI to be used responsibly. NATO’s first AI strategy established principles of responsible use, which are now applied to other technologies such as biotechnologies. We have also set up a Data and Artificial Intelligence Review Board (DARB) that governs the responsible development and use of AI by fostering cooperation and consultation among Allies and partners, including from the private sector, and providing a platform for exchange of best practices and standard establishment. We also carefully examine outcomes to check for unconscious bias or constellations in data that simply do not make sense. Additionally, we have an extensive protective security ring around our AI tools.
Interoperability, at all levels, is in the DNA of the Alliance. This necessitates that everything works together—people, processes, the language and abbreviations that we use, weapon systems, ammunition, and of course, technology. We have large communities and work programs set up to ensure the interoperability of networks and systems between Allies.
Challenges in Defense IT
What are the main challenges you face in managing NATO’s vast IT systems, and how are you addressing them to ensure seamless operations across multiple nations?
NATO celebrated its 75th anniversary on April 4th of this year. Adapting the Organisation to a fastevolving environment, particularly when it comes to IT, is a priority but can prove challenging. We are highly federated, which means that we have a heterogeneous system environment that has grown organically over decades. We have an installed base, which we depend on and cannot reinvent from scratch. Obsolescence management is therefore an integral part of IT system management at NATO.
Handling obsolescence replacement can be two-fold: like-for-like replacements and new capabilities. We, for example, have recently changed our internal process substantially, treating technology refresh as an ongoing activity. We also modernise our technology footprint and drive digital transformation initiatives forward.
The acceleration of cloud computing plays a big role. I see this as ‘killing two birds with one stone’— we achieve a level of seamless interoperability that would otherwise be difficult to attain, and we shift obsolescence management to Cloud Service Providers who treat this as their core business. Finally, we also benefit from several forums for Allies and the broader NATO Enterprise to learn from each other as we progress in our respective cloud and digital transformation journeys.
Cloud Computing and Scalability
How is NATO adopting cloud technologies to enhance its operational flexibility, and what role does scalability play in supporting NATO’s missions?
We are pushing cloud computing very aggressively. We are on an accelerated track to move data and systems into the public cloud for the types of data that are appropriate to be housed there. This is done in a secure fashion through close cooperation with Cloud Service Providers to set up protected environments. In addition to supporting NATO’s core competencies of collective defence, crisis management, and cooperative security, our systems also support day-to-day business processes with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, websites, email, collaboration tools, and others. There is no reason why these should not run in the cloud.
We are conscious of what we do with our ‘crown jewels,’ and there we opt for highly secure cloud environments that are appropriately air-gapped and protected. Cloud computing presents numerous advantages. Scalability is one of them and is important to us. The past years have reminded us again that the geopolitical landscape can change quickly. We need to be ready to support an urgent need, a military mission, with the computing power that is necessary to respond to that need.
Cloud computing also helps move obsolescence management to vendors and allows data colocation which, in turn, helps facilitate data analysis.
Collaboration with Allies and Partners
How does NATO collaborate with member states and external partners to develop and implement cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity solutions?
There are two dimensions to this – the Alliance and industry. Collaboration among Allies is done through NATO’s Digital Policy Committee. The committee sets - and approves - the technological direction regarding IT and cybersecurity solutions. It consists of national representatives of the IT leadership from NATO’s 32 member states. In many cases, these are the CIOs of the national departments of defence. I have a tight link to my colleagues in the capitals, and we commonly determine what IT and cybersecurity technologies we are pursuing.
Then, there is industry. I also maintain close relationships with companies that can provide NATO with technology solutions that will move the Alliance forward. This often happens through conferences. We have a significant one coming up that takes place every two years and is organised by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA): NATO Edge. It is designed to facilitate collaboration between NATO, political leaders, industry, and academic partners to provide technology and innovation to enhance NATO capabilities.
Digital Innovation in Defense
What emerging technologies, such as AI, machine learning, or blockchain, are you most excited about, and how do you see them shaping the future of NATO’s defence operations?
Everyone talks about AI and we at NATO are no different. This is what I am most excited about when looking at the technology’s potential and the use cases that we are working on. We are running a number of interesting pilots in the areas of ChatGPT, language translation services, and cybersecurity. These are just three examples of where we are active now. Whenever we have to make sense of a vast amount of data, where answers build upon themselves – and where knowledge cumulatively adapts – we have an opportunity to apply Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity is a perfect example. We use AI for threat assessment, event correlation, and adaptive networks. This frees up our analysts in the Security Operations Centre (SOC) to focus on higher-level activities.
AI-supported Automated Weapon Systems (AWS) comes with great ethical responsibility. Our aim is to always support decision-making of our military commanders with the best situational awareness possible.
“Processes need to be documented, but more importantly, they must be ‘lived’ to ensure consistent improvement. We spend a lot of time exercising different cybersecurity scenarios through various methods.”
Future Vision for NATO IT
What are your future plans for NATO’s IT strategy, and how do you see the role of technology evolving in strengthening defence capabilities and global security?
Digital transformation starts with two fundamental building blocks: cloud computing and the development of NATO’s digital backbone to enhance and adapt existing services and capabilities. Through this, we ensure universal connectivity and data transport across systems that service the different military domains.
We will also continue the journey of digitally transforming our business and communication systems. We will do so while integrating transversal new technologies in the fields of AI and data analytics. Technology is and will remain at the centre of our defence and our security. As a former colleague of mine on the military side once said, “a military exercise without connected systems is only a camping trip.”
NATO, founded in 1949, is a political and military alliance of 32 member countries from Europe and North America. Committed to collective defence and global security, NATO works to promote democratic values, manage crises, and respond to evolving security threats such as terrorism and cyberattacks.
Dr. Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer Chief Information Officer