USAREUR-AF holds 2026 Cyber Summit in Wiesbaden

The 26th annual summit continued the tradition of deepening multinational cooperation and enhancing the army's ability to defend critical networks in Europe and Africa. Building on the momentum of previous events, this year's focus was on networking all partners from the 23 participating nations.

"We want to create a forum for exchange where we can jointly pursue our goals to make our military missions more resilient," said Holvin Galindo, Theater Cyber Security Lead for the G6 division at U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF).

2026 Summit Highlights

This year's agenda underscored the need to leverage existing technologies to maintain operational readiness amid evolving digital threats. Opening the summit, retired Major General Garrett Yee—Vice President for Army and Defense Agencies at General Dynamics Information Technology—emphasized that even large corporations, including pharmaceutical companies like Abbott, are vulnerable to cyberattacks and data theft. He noted that cybersecurity is now a topic at the leadership level and highlighted the importance of assessing which tools most effectively enhance cyber resilience.

"We all need to learn to use AI—our children already are!" said Yee. "AI improves defense; cybersecurity enables mission assurance."

A Growing Network of Partners

Leaders stressed that cyber defense is a shared responsibility of the entire military force and its partners. A senior representative from the Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum (Netherlands) noted that this was his first time attending the summit; his goal was to network with other experts to stay updated on new developments in the cyber domain.

As networks become increasingly interconnected, vulnerabilities in one system can quickly impact others within the alliance. Participants repeatedly emphasized that cyber capabilities are fundamentally based on human skills—skilled operators, trusted partnerships, and transparent information sharing. The summit reaffirmed that resilient networks depend not only on advanced technology but also on the people who operate and secure them.

Strengthening Collective Defense

"We must ensure our leaders understand how critical cybersecurity actually is for accomplishing their mission. We always hope it doesn't take a disaster for leadership to recognize this importance," Galindo stressed. He also highlighted that cybersecurity experts are often brought in late to projects—after concepts have already been implemented.

"Cybersecurity cannot try to jump on a moving train at the last moment. It must be integrated into mission analysis from the start. We need to be equal partners with a shared goal," Galindo added.

Other summit topics included:

• Cyber defense and national security
• AI-powered cybersecurity
• Critical infrastructure protection
• The future of army cyber operations

Amid constantly evolving digital threats, leaders underscored that the summit remains a cornerstone of USAREUR-AF's strategy: building trusted partnerships, modernizing defense, and ensuring that allied forces in Europe and Africa can operate securely.