Cybernetica provided advanced technologies to the international live-fire cyber defence exercise Locked Shields 2019. It was the third time for Cybernetica to be a contributing industry partner to the largest and most complex technical cyber exercise in the world, held in Tallinn, Estonia in April 2019.
Locked Shields 2019 exercise was organised by NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). The annual real-time network defence exercise provides a unique opportunity for national cyber defenders to practice protection of national IT systems and critical infrastructure under the pressure of a severe cyberattack.
This year, the exercise focused on the protection of vital energy and communication systems that our entire modern lifestyle, both in the military and civilian sphere, depends upon. To keep up with the advancements of technology, Locked Shields teams up with industry partners and focuses on realistic scenarios, cutting-edge technologies, relevant networks and emerging attack methods.
One of the systems under attack during the exercise was the maritime surveillance technology developed by the engineers of Cybernetica. “Cybernetica takes it as a compliment that our Vessel Traffic Management System was chosen as a mission critical system by the CCDCOE to be defended against live-fire cyber-attacks. It proves well that the digital systems used daily are relevant from both civil and military perspective, and we need to ensure their resilience,” said Martin Link, the Head of Sales at Cybernetica. “This exercise, among other benefits, gives participants a great opportunity to understand the importance of assessing security of all system elements cohesively. A reliable and secure system itself is not enough to maintain availability of complex networks operating in a hostile environment, one has to take care of all the elements in the network,“ added Link.
In 2019, Locked Shields highlighted the growing need to enhance dialogue between technical experts, civil and military participants and decision-making levels. The exercise included new critical infrastructure components and integrated the technical and strategic game, enabling participating nations - altogether 23 teams - to practice the entire chain of command in solving a large-scale cyber incident. Reflecting real world cyber threats, the exercise addressed first and foremost the protection of vital services and critical infrastructure.
Locked Shields 2019 is organised by CCDCOE in cooperation with the Estonian Defence Forces, the Finnish Defence Forces, the United States European Command, National Security Research Institute of the Republic of Korea and TalTech. Industry partners in the exercise included Cybernetica, Siemens AG, Elisa, Cisco, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Arctic Security, Clarified Security, Iptron, Bytelife, STM, BHC Laboratory, Bolt and many others.
Photo gallery of Locked Shields, photo credit: CCDCOE/Arno Mikkor