Introduction Because of its constitutional tasks, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (hereinafter referred to as Defence) is the fighting force of the state of the Netherlands. Our country must be able to count on Defence when the need arises. Taking action against serious cyber threats to our security in the national and international context is part of that. The importance of the contribution that Defence makes to our cyber security has increased with the deterioration of the international security situation and the intensification of geopolitical conflicts of interest. The Cyber Security Assessment Netherlands 2018 (Cyber Security Beeld Nederland 2018) makes clear that the greatest cyber threat to our national security is state-based. This has indisputable consequences for the contribution that Defence is expected to make to counter that threat. Furthermore, our increasingly digitised country must be prepared for sophisticated cyber threats in the unfortunate event of military conflict. Defence has a responsibility in this regard, both to the Netherlands and to NATO. This document, the Defence Cyber Strategy, has been drawn up within the framework of the 2018 Defence White Paper, the Integrated International Security Strategy 2018-2022 (GBVS) and the National Cyber Security Agenda (NCSA) and contributes to the implementation of these strategies. Following the publication of the first Defence Cyber Strategy in 2012, it builds on the foundation that was laid with the setting up of the Defence Cyber Command (DCC) and the Joint Sigint Cyber Unit (JSCU) of the General Intelligence & Security Service (GISS) and the Defence Intelligence and Security Service (DISS) and the reinforcement of the Defence Computer Emergency Response Team (DefCERT) and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (RNLM). Many steps have been taken since 2012. Now it is time to accelerate and connect. The cyber intensification in the Coalition Agreement, rising to a structural allocation of 20 million from 2021, makes this possible. On the basis of this Strategy, Defence is investing in cyber capabilities in order to: • be in control of its own IT and weapon systems at all times and to safeguard its cyber resilience. This will continue to be an important area of focus over the coming years; • further improve our intelligence regarding who poses a threat to our national security in the cyber domain. Together with that of the GISS, the role of the DISS is indispensable in this regard; • have more capabilities at our disposable for the disruption and deterrence of cyber attacks; • safeguard, together with civil partners, the security of the Netherlands and of our vital infrastructure and processes in the unfortunate event of a military conflict in which offensive cyber assets are deployed; • deploy cyber assets effectively in order to gain and retain superiority in military operations. Cyber striking power for the Netherlands is an ambitious aim. But in view of Defence’s main tasks, namely to protect our own and NATO territory, promote the international rule of law and support civil authorities, this ambition is a necessity. Defence Cyber Strategy 5