More than 3,000 participants from 38 countries gathered in Tallinn, Estonia, last week for the annual Locked Shields program – the world’s largest cyber defense exercise.
Under their hosts, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE), NATO allies and partners, and others were tested against simulations of real-time attacks on computer systems and tasked with undertaking the tactical and strategic decisions needed to maintain protections in critical situations.
“This past year has shown us how important strength in cyber defense is,” Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur said. “Cyber warfare may not be as visible as kinetic warfare, but it is integrated into wartime activities. Ukraine has strong digital competences, and that has meant that their state can keep delivering essential digital services even in wartime. Cyber competence grows through investments, but not only monetary ones – exercises like these, where allies with shared values also exchange know-how and train together, are key to continued resilience.”
Participants worked for four days to defend (or attack) systems such as banking systems and power plants or information systems, report incidents, and figure out forensic, legal, and media challenges. They were divided into a red team and a blue team. Coordination and cooperation were major themes stressed by the event organizers, given the time crunches most cyberattack situations face.
“Locked Shields thus focuses not only on cyber defense but also on strategy games, legal issues, and crisis communication,” Mart Noorma, director of NATO CCDCOE, said. “In the event of a major cyberattack, swift cooperation is crucial to prevent the escalation of a security crisis.“
In all, this year included 24 participating blue teams, each representing national cyber Rapid Reaction Teams and each taking the contest competitively. Last year, the Finnish came out on top, with their blue team showcasing solid network and web defenses and excellent situational reporting.