‘Locked Shields’, the world’s biggest and most advanced international cyber defence exercise involving life-fire attacks, is organized annually by NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE) in Tallinn. This year’s edition will take place from 9-12 April with some 1,000 experts from around 30 nations participating. EDA will support the strategic track part of the exercise.
The exercise will see a Red team (based in Tallinn) attacking Blue Teams made up by CCD COE member states (based at exercise locations in their capitals) who will act as national rapid reaction teams deployed to assist a fictional country in handling large-scale cyber incidents and all their multiple implications. The main task of the Blue Teams is to protect and maintain their services and networks against these life attacks. Besides countering the technical attacks, information sharing, teamwork and cooperation will also be key aspects to be tested in this exercise.
With its rich expertise and experience gained from several strategic decision-making exercises organised with Member States over recent years, EDA will support the ‘Locked Shields 2019 Strategic Track’, a parallel, table-top decision-making exercise track playing in the same fictitious, sovereign state under severe cyber-attacks from an aggressive neighbour. Participating Blue Teams will act as rapid reaction teams and advisors. High-level cyber/hybrid crisis management and legal decisions have to be made in accordance with national, EU, NATO and UN regulations by those Blue Teams. The roles of NATO, EU and UN will be played by a “White Team”, including EDA.
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