I led Nato on 9/11. Russian hacking could trigger Article 5 next
- Posted on September 12, 2026
- By The Times
- 1 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
This analysis explores the threshold for invoking NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause in the digital age. With only the September 11 terrorist attacks having triggered this mechanism in the alliance's history, experts debate whether a sophisticated cyberattack could meet the same criteria. A former NATO secretary-general discusses the evolving security landscape and the conditions necessary to unite member states under this critical defense protocol.
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I led Nato on 9/11. Russian hacking could trigger Article 5 next
Only the 2001 atrocity has triggered the alliance’s collective defence mechanism, so what would it take to happen again? We asked a former secretary-general
