We reached a significant milestone last year when a team from Airbus took part in the NATO ‘Locked Shields’ exercise for the first time. The exercise, which has been conducted annually since 2010 by the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE), is the world’s largest live cyber defence exercise with over 3,500 participants from 32 nations. Participating at the invitation of the ‘Centre for Cyber Security in the Bundeswehr’ was an instructive experience that showed us how important international cooperation is in the field of cybersecurity.
Again this year at Locked Shields, we were faced with challenges that reflect the complexity of real-world cyber defence, including critical thinking, strategic decision making, legal considerations, crisis communication and strategic planning, all with the aim of strengthening cyber defence capabilities.
The uniqueness of the exercise lies in its comprehensive approach, combining technical skills with strategic, legal and communication expertise to develop a versatile defence strategy. Participants are encouraged to utilise their collective skills and foster an environment where collaboration is key to overcoming complex cyber challenges.
‘The intensity of Locked Shields is unrivalled. Every attack is a new challenge that needs to be mastered. The close collaboration with experts from all over the world has opened up new perspectives for me and my skills have been put to the test time and again,’ reports Frank Reckziegel, Cybersecurity Architect.
Markus Neumaier, Forensics Specialist, adds: ‘Locked Shields is not just about the technology, but also about the big picture. The forensic investigations under time pressure showed me how important details are and how they can influence the big picture’.
‘Locked Shields was like a chess game against invisible opponents. Every move and its consequences had to be carefully considered. It was an honour to be part of a team that worked so hard together to protect our system without losing sight of its function,’ says Philipp Schönberger, Cybersecurity Software Architect, summarising his impressions.
This underlines the role of the exercise in improving international cooperation in the field of cyber defence. We look forward to capitalising on our experiences from this and last year, taking on new challenges and continuing to contribute to the protection of the digital world.
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Cybersecurity 
Cybersecurity