NATO announced plans to transform its Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) into the NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre by 2028 at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington. The NCSC is currently located at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.

NATO states that cyberattacks on allies may be considered an "armed attack," which could lead to the invocation of Article 5. The alliance's focus in cyber defense includes protecting its own networks, operating in cyberspace, assisting allies in enhancing national resilience, and providing a platform for political consultation and collective action. NATO does not conduct offensive cyber operations but understands the validity of such operations by allies to support Alliance defensive measures.

At the 2016 Warsaw Summit, NATO declared cyber a domain of warfare and introduced the Cyber Defense Pledge. Article 3 of the NATO Treaty requires allies to defend themselves. Officials and agencies in the United Kingdom and Germany have issued warnings regarding recent cyber operations targeting NATO allies.

The updated Cyber Defense Pledge mandates cybersecurity maturity assessments for all critical infrastructure sectors. It requires standardized incident reporting with 24-hour notification windows and joint cyber exercise participation for all member states. The pledge identifies enhanced real-time threat intelligence sharing, standardized capability-building programs, and expanded Asia-Pacific cooperation as major policy objectives.

NATO supports national efforts to mitigate malicious cyber activities through its Virtual Cyber Incident Support Capability (VCISC). The alliance assists allies in building their own cyber capabilities rather than offering direct cybersecurity services. Most cyber capabilities reside with allied security services and are made available to NATO upon request and agreement. The organization has Cyber Rapid Reaction Teams, which can assist allies when approved by the North Atlantic Council, consisting of the heads of state and government of the allies.

Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is responsible for alliance doctrine and ensures the integration of cyber in all training and education. ACT leads NATO Centres of Excellence, including the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. This center conducts cyber research, leads cyber exercises, and publishes the Tallinn Manual, a global standard for discussing the legal aspects of cyber operations during peacetime and wartime. Additional training occurs at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, and the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy, which addresses strategic thinking on political-military matters including cyber defense. NATO also conducts IT-specific cyber training at the NATO Communications and Information Academy in Oeiras, Portugal.

NATO coordinates with international bodies such as the European Union, the United Nations, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on cyber defense. A Technical Arrangement on Cyber Defense exists between the NATO Computer Incident Response Capability and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU. This arrangement includes cooperation between NATO Rapid Response Teams and national CERTs through the Permanent Structured Cooperation program. Federated Mission Networking (FMN), which originated from the Afghan Mission Network used by the International Security Assistance Force, provides information technology and cybersecurity standards for national networks connecting to the NATO network.