Journal on Baltic Security

NATO’s 2030 digital transformation demands innovative approaches to harness specialised capabilities and ensure readiness against hybrid threats. Cyber reserves are pivotal in bridging military and civilian technologies, enabling digital objectives, and countering sophisticated tactics like cyberattacks and GPS jamming. These reserves integrate military training with civilian expertise, leveraging private sector knowledge – controlling 90% of critical infrastructure – as a strategic asset. They serve as a force multiplier in digital transformation, connect industry and technology to military planning, and enable rapid deployment of advanced capabilities like cloud, AI, and data analytics. Cyber reserves enhance a country’s response to hybrid threats by improving vulnerability assessment, attribution, and civil-military coordination, emphasising societal resilience and military preparedness. They foster digital literacy, cultural change, and partnerships with industry and academia to strengthen holistic defence. However, challenges include standardising training, securing information exchange, and ensuring flexible service models that respect civilian commitments and national sovereignty. By addressing these, a military can calibrate cyber reserves to bolster defences and accelerate digital transformation, creating a full-spectrum, multi-domain force capable of countering 21st-century hybrid threats in both digital and physical spaces.