CAFCYBERCOM boosts NATO cyber resilience at CyberChess 2025

October 31, 2025 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time – 2:00

By: Major Christopher Daniel, Senior Public Affairs Officer, CAFCYBERCOM

The Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command (CAFCYBERCOM) participated in CyberChess 2025, one of the Baltic region’s leading cybersecurity conferences, held from October 29 to 30 in Riga, Latvia. The Command was represented by members of Cyber Task Force 2 (CyTF2), deployed under Operation REASSURANCE, and Brigadier-General Scott MacGregor, Deputy Commander of CAFCYBERCOM, attending from Canada.

Organized by the Cyber Incident Response Institution of the Republic of Latvia (CERT.LV), the Ministry of Defence of Latvia, the National Cybersecurity Centre, the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of University of Latvia, ISACA, and other partners, CyberChess 2025 brought together experts, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to address critical digital security challenges. Topics included infrastructure protection, supply chain resilience, financial security, and the risks associated with artificial intelligence.

“Canada remains committed to NATO’s collective cyber defence,” said Brigadier-General MacGregor. “By sharing operational experience and best practices with our Allies, we strengthen regional cyber resilience and reinforce trust across networks that are vital to allied security.”

On a daily basis, CyTF2 works closely with CERT.LV to monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats, ensuring the stability of Latvian and allied digital networks. Their efforts build on recent multinational operations during the summer of 2025, which enhanced threat monitoring, identified supply chain vulnerabilities, and facilitated knowledge exchange with partners including Poland, CERT-EU, and NATO Allies.

“CyberChess 2025 was an invaluable opportunity for CyTF-2 to engage directly with our Allies and share practical insights on defending critical infrastructure,” said Lieutenant-Commander Jonathan Timmins, Commander of CyTF-2. “Events like this strengthen our collective ability to detect and counter cyber threats, ensuring secure and resilient networks for Canada, Latvia, and NATO.”

Varis Teivāns, CERT.LV Technical Director, highlighted the value of the collaboration, “Working alongside CyTF-2 strengthens our collective capacity to respond rapidly to cyber incidents and reinforces the practical ties between Latvian and Canadian cyber teams.”

The conference also featured a Capture the Flag competition, giving participants opportunities to test skills in realistic cybersecurity scenarios. Through workshops, panels, and joint discussions, CAFCYBERCOM shared operational insights, lessons learned, and best practices, underscoring the value of cooperative, multinational cyber defence.

By engaging with partners at CyberChess 2025, CAFCYBERCOM demonstrated that coordinated cyber operations are a cornerstone of NATO readiness. The event highlighted Canada’s proactive role in supporting allied cyber resilience, ensuring safe and stable digital environments, and fostering long-term partnerships in the Baltic region and beyond.