Abstract

Hybrid threats in the digital domain is one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century. Cybercrime, cyber sabotage and cyber espionage, as well as states pre-positioning their assets to gain a strategic advantage, are threats that have become commonplace in today’s cyber landscape. States increasingly need to undertake whole-of-government approaches to crisis management to deal with hybrid threats that have moved from what was once theoretical scenarios to reality.  Cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns have the potential to cripple a state without resorting to armed force. Close cooperation among like-minded states is therefore necessary to help coordinate responses to hybrid threats, and in turn improve the deterrence and defence posture of participant states. Hybrid threats in the digital domain is one of the biggest challenges in the 21st century. Cybercrime, cyber sabotage and cyber espionage, as well as states pre-positioning their assets to gain a strategic advantage, are threats that have become commonplace in today’s cyber landscape. States increasingly need to undertake whole-of-government approaches to crisis management to deal with hybrid threats that have moved from what was once theoretical scenarios to reality. Cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns have the potential to cripple a state without resorting to armed force. Close cooperation among like-minded states is therefore necessary to help coordinate responses to hybrid threats, and in turn improve the deterrence and defence posture of participant states.

About the Speaker

Vice-Admiral Dr Thomas Daum joined the Bundeswehr as an officer candidate in 1981. After studying computer science at the Bundeswehr University in Munich and completing his naval officer education, he received first command assignments on seagoing units. From 1996 onwards, he took part in the two-year admiral staff officers’ training at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg.

His career as a senior officer was characterised by assignments at command headquarters and at the Federal Ministry of Defence, where he served in the areas of CIS support/C4ISR as well as concepts and capability analysis. He was also given command assignments at home and abroad, especially as commander of a fast patrol boat squadron, also on NATO operations.

He served as Head of the Information Technology Directorate at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) from 2012 to 2015 and as Chief of Staff and Deputy General Manager as well as Chief Operating Officer of the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) in Brussels, Belgium, from 2015 to 2019.

After becoming Chief of Staff at the German Cyber and Information Domain Service Headquarters on 1 April 2019, Dr Daum was appointed as Chief of the Cyber and Information Domain Service on 25 September 2020.