Through the NCSC, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) protects NATO's own networks by providing centralized and round-the-clock cyber defence support. The centre enables the secure conduct of NATO's consultation and supports military commanders with situational awareness to inform the Alliance's operations and missions. It also provides the technical cyber defence capabilities for NATO's operational activity in cyberspace, ensuring freedom to act in this domain and making operations more resilient to cyber threats.
With a proven track record of safeguarding organizations from cyber threats and over 25 years of experience gained in the military, governmental and private sector organizations, Dandurand now leads an integrated team of around 250 civilian and military staff, responsible for a broad range of whole-lifecycle cyber security services and projects all of which are focused on defending the Alliance's Enterprise networked infrastructure.
Read more about Dandurand's career here.
"I am honoured and excited to take the leadership of the NCSC at this critical moment for NATO. With a reputation for excellence, the team covers a wide remit and is very well positioned to take up tomorrow's challenges head on. I am confident we can build on the team's successes and seize the opportunities ahead of us to make critical contributions in the cyber domain for the success of the Alliance's missions and operations."
The handover marks the end of nearly two decades of leadership under West. From 2004 until his appointment as Chief of NCSC in 2014, West was the Director of the NATO Computer Incident Response Capability (NCIRC) Technical Centre. In 2016, West was named Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the year by SC Magazine.
West takes great pride in his time leading the NCSC. During this time, West led the NCSC response to the rising threat of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
"Handing over this responsibility to my successor Luc, is a bittersweet watershed for me. On the one hand, I will most certainly miss the roller coaster ride of protecting NATO's critical networks and working with such an amazing team, all passionate about their mission. On the other hand, I am absolutely convinced that under Luc's leadership, the NCSC will reach even greater success."
During the official ceremony marking the handover from West to Dandurand, the NCI Agency's General Manager, Ludwig Decamps, presented West with a recognition for his decades of service to NATO and welcomed Dandurand to the Agency.
"The NCSC is a key enabler at the forefront of NATO's cyber resilience and requires a solid leadership at its helm. Ian, I want to thank you for all these years of dedication and relentless commitment. Your leadership has guided our team through ever-arising cyber challenges, ensuring our digital defences remained resilient. I know that your legacy is in good hands and that the NCSC will continue to flourish under Luc's capable ability to steer the ship through the dynamic waters of an ever evolving cyber realm."
On his farewell, West was interviewed about his impressive career and achievements in cyber security for the ninth edition of NITECH magazine.
Read the interview on pages 96 and 97 of NITECH here