National Teams Engage In NATO’s Annual Cyber Challenge

More than 1,000 international cyber defenders and decision-makers will take part in Locked Shields 2019. This is organised by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Estonia, the event uses a game-based approach, enabling participants to take on roles in fictional response teams. 

Their goal is increase awareness and improve understanding of decision makers and IT experts and to be able to assess an IT crisis situation, maintain services and defend networks that have fallen victim to cyber-attacks. 

Participants train as national cyber rapid reaction teams that are deployed to assist Berylia in handling a large-scale cyber-incident. While the aim of the tech game is to maintain the operation of various systems under intense pressure, the strategic part addresses the capability to understand national coordination mechanisms, law enforcement options and strategic communication.

In the exercise scenario, the fictitious country Berylia faces coordinated cyber-attacks against its civilian infrastructure, while it is holding national elections.

The job of NATO’s team will be to help contain the damage and protect the networks from further attacks. The exercise takes place in a laboratory environment. Cyber exercises like Locked Shields are valuable opportunities for national and NATO cyber experts to practice protecting their IT systems and critical infrastructure against severe cyber-attacks. 

This kind of training also promotes understanding and cooperation between civilian and military experts and decision-makers involved in responding to cyber threats.

NATO:             SC Magazine: 

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