(CNN) -- NATO faces serious new cybersecurity threats, according to the U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and the alliance should invest in new programs to "remedy these weaknesses".
NATO's vulnerabilities in cyberspace are well-known, Gates told foreign and defense ministers gathered in Brussels, Belgium, Monday. He added that the plans in place to respond to these new emerging threats are "inadequate".
A review of NATO's cybersecurity policies should be "a matter of priority," Gates said, adding that the treaty organization needs "to identify what more must be done to protect our vital information systems. And then we need to agree to fund the capabilities that are necessary to protect these systems".
The defense secretary's comments came during a review of a draft of the new Strategic Concept for NATO, written by Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Gates applauded the review for highlighting the cybersecurity threat the alliance faces, but said "the language could be sharpened further".
Gates also discussed a second emerging threat highlighted in the review, that posed by ballistic missiles. And he praised Rasumussen's report for doing a "good job of capturing the complexity and uncertainty of today's security environment".
CNN
