Enhancing Social Cohesion and Media Literacy to Combat Disinformation

Montenegrin President Highlights Cyber Resilience Following 2022 Attack

Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatović emphasized the critical importance of strengthening social cohesion and improving media literacy as the most effective long-term strategies against disinformation. Speaking at the Paris Peace Forum during a panel on “Cyber Peace in a Fragmented World,” Milatović reflected on Montenegro’s journey to digital resilience following a severe cyberattack in 2022.

The 2022 attack paralyzed significant portions of Montenegro’s public administration and disrupted key services, serving as a stark reminder that modern conflicts extend into digital spaces. “That’s when we realized that wars are also being fought in the digital space,” Milatović told forum attendees, highlighting how the experience became a turning point in the nation’s approach to cybersecurity.

According to the president, Montenegro’s institutions responded swiftly with crucial assistance from international partners, laying the groundwork for the country’s current digital defense capabilities. “We had to learn from that experience and strengthen the resilience of our system,” he explained.

In the aftermath of the attack, Montenegro implemented comprehensive measures to bolster its cybersecurity infrastructure. These efforts included adopting strategic documents such as the Strategy for Countering Hybrid Threats and establishing an Interdepartmental Commission specifically tasked with combating hybrid threats. Milatović also revealed plans for a dedicated Cybersecurity Agency that will consolidate institutional efforts and enhance national-level coordination.

The president underscored the significance of international cooperation in addressing cyber threats, particularly highlighting Montenegro’s collaborations with INTERPOL and Europol. He cited the dismantling of the Sky/ECC encrypted communications network as concrete evidence that confronting global cybercrime requires multinational coordination. “The Sky Correspondences are proof that cooperation and trust between states bring results in the fight against organized crime and cyber threats,” Milatović stated.

A cornerstone of Montenegro’s regional cybersecurity efforts is the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Center (WB3C) based in Podgorica. Co-founded by Montenegro, France, and Slovenia, the center has emerged as what Milatović described as a “practical pillar of regional resilience.” He noted that over 400 experts from across the region have already received specialized training in digital forensics, incident response protocols, and cyber diplomacy.

“WB3C is becoming a bridge between the Western Balkans and the wider European cyber community,” Milatović said, mentioning that he has invited all countries in the region to join the initiative, emphasizing the center’s role in developing collective regional cyber capabilities.

The Montenegrin president devoted significant attention to the growing challenge of hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns, which increasingly target both societies as a whole and individual citizens. He observed that people now face daily exposure to manipulation and false content across various platforms, creating a persistent challenge to societal stability and democratic processes.

In Milatović’s assessment, countering disinformation requires sustained, long-term commitment rather than quick fixes. “The only long-term answer is to strengthen social cohesion and improve media literacy. Only informed citizens can distinguish truth from manipulation,” he concluded, emphasizing the need to build resilience from the ground up through education and community strengthening.

Montenegro’s experience illustrates the evolving nature of national security challenges in the digital age, where threats can materialize without physical borders and require both sophisticated technical responses and broad social preparation. The country’s strategic pivot following the 2022 cyberattack demonstrates how smaller nations can develop significant cyber resilience through a combination of domestic policy initiatives and international partnerships.