Greece inaugurated a cybersecurity center to boost national defense, funded entirely via a donation by the Athanasios K. Laskaridis Charity Foundation.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias opened the state-of-the-art Directorate of Information Technology and Cyberspace building at the “Papagou” Camp. The facility will house “Unit 1864,” a specialized cybersecurity division of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (HNDGS).
The €5 million, three-story, 2,500-square-meter facility was constructed in less than 18 months, and represents a major milestone in Greece’s defense overhaul.
PM Mitsotakis on cybersecurity: “Undeclared wars on invisible battlefields”
In his keynote address, Prime Minister Mitsotakis emphasized that national security has evolved far beyond traditional borders, calling the inauguration a “pivotal day for the nation’s security.”
“Wars today are not just fought on the battlefield. They are fought primarily on the digital front,” Mitsotakis stated, pointing to the hybrid nature of modern threats powered by emerging technologies.
The Prime Minister raised alarms over modern vulnerabilities, including cyberattacks on critical infrastructure like power grids, banking systems, and hospitals, as well as disinformation campaigns designed to undermine democratic institutions.
“These are undeclared wars on invisible battlefields, which are just as destructive and demand constant vigilance.”
Connecting the facility to the broader “Agenda 2030” military reform, Mitsotakis noted that artificial intelligence makes existing security setups vulnerable, requiring rapid technological adaptation. However, he expressed immense confidence in the military’s tech personnel, calling them the “technological backbone of the armed forces.”
Defense leadership: The “Agenda 2030” transformation
Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias reinforced the strategic shift outlined in “Agenda 2030,” which aims to transition the military into a highly sophisticated intelligence-gathering and data-processing mechanism.
“The world has changed: The Armed Forces must change,” Dendias stated bluntly, calling the ongoing military reforms a “matter of survival” for Greece.
Dendias drew a parallel to the mythical “Shield of Achilles,” reminding the audience that modern defense spans five domains: land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. He confirmed that Unit 1864 is fully equipped for “all types of cyber-warfare operations.”
A call to the Greek shipping community
A major focal point of the event was the philanthropy of Athanasios Laskaridis. Prime Minister Mitsotakis used the opportunity to urge Greece’s wealthy shipping and business elite to follow suit and support public institutions.
Laskaridis spoke candidly about the obligations of the country’s wealthiest citizens:
“Without exaggeration, fifty families possess fortunes exceeding one billion euros each,” Laskaridis remarked, noting that there is still “a lot of idle wealth, primarily in Greek shipping.”
“Greek shipping has enjoyed the support of all Greek governments since the end of World War II… Therefore, much more must still be done for our homeland.”
Laskaridis pointed to legendary national benefactors Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos as the historical blueprints for civic duty, suggesting that modern tycoons should step up to create a vital reserve of resources for the benefit of Greek society.
Related: Greece Outpaces OECD Average in Digital Transformation
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